After the much anticipated Cost Of Living Allowance (COLA) was paid by the government in August, other public sector workers have been asking about the 2023 base pay negotiation.
The latest update was revealed by Thomas T. Musah, the General Secretary of GNAT. Speaking on GNAT Hour, a program hosted by Angel FM, on 3rd September 2023 via phone call, he revealed that 30% salary increase is what they are negotiating for in 2023.
He added that currently the technical sub-committee of the tripartite committee has been put together to work out the various scenarios taking into consideration different economic indicators to come up with figures that would be presented to the plenary for negotiating the national minimum wage for 2023.
He hinted that what the government wanted to put on the table was small and far from their 30% expectation. Thomas Musah said it's confidential to disclose the exact percentage. According to him, the government gave the excuse of the economic crisis facing the country.
Special Package For Teachers
Mr. Thomas Musah added that GNAT has requested and is pushing for 20% allowance for teachers who teach at hinterland (deprived) areas.
What The 30% Negotiation Means
If this negotiation see daylight, it will mean another 15% adjustment will be added to the recent 15% cola that has been implemented.
Previous Salary Increments
The Government of Ghana in 2021 increased salaries of public sector employees by three percent (3%). In January 2022, government of Ghana announced an increment of 4%. This means that from 2021 to 2022, there have been seven percent salary increment for public sector workers.
What Is The Probability of Government Accepting 30% Salary Increment From Organized Labour?
In the last two years, salaries have been increased only 7%. In 2022, Ghana is in economic crisis. This is evident in government engagement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a bailout.
In my opinion, the probability of government accepting 30% salary increment is very low.
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