Organised Labour has strongly dismissed allegations that it was forced into accepting the 10 per cent base pay increase announced by the government, insisting that the decision was made after careful deliberations and economic considerations rather than intimidation or coercion.
The claims of coercion surfaced after some reports suggested that government officials pressured labour unions into agreeing to the wage adjustment, a move critics argue is insufficient given the current economic hardships.
However, leaders within Organised Labour have denied such claims, maintaining that their decision was based on economic realities and a direct appeal from President John Dramani Mahama.
Addressing a press conference last Monday, the President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Angel Carbonu, stated that the negotiation process was rigorous and not without its challenges.
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He explained that labour unions had to weigh several factors, including the state of the economy, inflation, job security and the sustainability of wage increments.
He stressed that at no point were labour unions "intimidated, bribed or manipulated into accepting the deal”.
"Instead, we made a difficult yet pragmatic choice to ensure that the economy remained stable while still securing an increase in wages.”
“The President of the land have come to virtually beg labour that if we are not careful, we are going to push this economy in the doldrums and even the few jobs that we have may not even be there. So labour bought into the President’s appeal.
"Where is the intimidation? Where is the bribery? Where is the manipulation here?” Mr Carbonu said.
Base pay increment
Last Wednesday, the Ministry of Labour, Jobs and Employment announced the new base pay following an agreement between the government and Organised Labour on a 10 per cent across the board for workers in the public sector.
The development means that all public sector workers on the Single Spine Salary Structure will have an increment in their basic salaries by 10 per cent from January to December this year.
In addition, the National Tripartite Committee (NTC) also set the National Daily Minimum Wage (NDMW) at GH¢19.97.
This implies that any Ghanaian earning salary or allowance, including househelps, nannies and guards, must not be paid less than that in a day or GH¢559.16 a month (using 28 days).
In determining the 2025 NDMW, the NTC, made up of the government side, employers and organised labour, took into account the current economic challenges, cost of living, sustainability of businesses and desirability of attaining a higher level of employment.
President John Dramani Mahama briefly sat in the NTC meeting held at the Ministry of Labour, Jobs and Employment yesterday.
Before attending his Cabinet’s first meeting, President Mahama joined the NTC meeting and intervened when the discussions came to a head.
The President urged labour to consider the dire state of the economy as the parties proceeded with the wage negotiations.
