Public sector workers demand salary increment

Public sector employees in the country have asserted that they expect an increase of over 20 percent in their salary for the year 2023 to replace the 15 percent Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) which ends in December this year.

According to the workers, any figure below 20 percent will be a greater disadvantage to their financial status since a figure around 20 percent is insufficient to match the current hiking price of goods and services in the country.

Read also: Controller pays GH¢485m as COLA to public sector workers

On July 14, 2022, a consensus was reached between the government of Ghana and all Organized Labor Unions in Ghana to pay a 15 percent Cost of Living Allowance to all public sector workers after Teachers’ Unions embarked on a nationwide strike to compel the government to accept the initial bid of 20 percent.

They expected an increase in the salary for the 2023 year, the employees mentioned that the leaders of Organized Labour groups should not come into congruent with the government on a figure less than 20 percent since the price of commodities will not reduce.

See also: UEW final-year students protest against university authorities

Among other reasons, the workers stated that the inflation rate in Ghana is clear evidence that the union leaders should not accept any lower percentage that will be proposed by the central government if they sit to negotiate the increment.

“Assessing the state of Ghana’s economy and the pace at which price of goods is going up each day, increasing public sector employee’s salary to 100 percent will not match it because the value of the salary in monetary term is already low going into the new year,”_ one said.

Credit: Ogyataba Khaakyire