The Minority in Parliament has criticised the government’s decision to raise public sector salaries by nine percent, describing it as a betrayal of Ghanaian workers struggling under rising living costs.
In a statement signed by Mavis Nkansah Boadu, Ranking Member on the Employment, Labour Relations, and Pensions Committee, the Minority said the increment was “economically inadequate” and showed a lack of sensitivity to the hardships ordinary workers face.
“Transport fares, utility tariffs, fuel prices, and the general cost of goods and services have all gone up sharply in the past ten months,” the statement said. “Inflation continues to erode incomes while the cedi remains unstable. In such a climate, a mere nine percent increase is not only insignificant, it is punitive.”
The group compared the current adjustment to past increments under the same administration, noting that public sector workers received an average 24 percent salary increase in 2024, about 30 percent in 2023, and double-digit rises in earlier years.
“The drop from such double-digit increments to a single-digit increase shows a broken promise to workers,” the Minority said, arguing that the government had managed higher pay rises even during the COVID-19 pandemic, when global revenues were low.
They accused the government of pursuing contradictory policies, saying it “cannot continue to tax more, borrow more, spend more, and then compensate workers with less.”
The Minority has called on the government to reopen negotiations with Organized Labour and propose a realistic adjustment that reflects inflation and the true cost of living. Anything less, they warned, would amount to “economic injustice” against Ghanaian workers.
The statement reaffirmed the Minority’s commitment to “speaking for the voiceless and protecting the welfare of workers,” insisting that public policy must be guided by fairness, equity, and sustainability.
