Minority Rejects 9% Salary Increase For 2027, Says Government Has Insulted Ghanaian Workers

According to a report by KessbenTV, on Friday October 30, 2026, the Minority Caucus in Parliament has strongly criticised the proposed salary adjustments for public sector workers in 2027 and 2028, describing the 9 per cent remuneration increase scheduled for next year as an insult to Ghanaian workers.

The caucus says the proposed adjustment does not adequately reflect the economic difficulties confronting public sector employees, particularly the rising cost of living and increasing household expenses.

In a statement issued on October 30, 2026, the Minority Caucus on Employment, Labour Relations and Pensions expressed disappointment over the newly signed Multi-Year Public Service Remuneration Agreement between the government and Organised Labour.

The agreement, concluded on October 28, provides for an 8 per cent increase in base pay and an additional 1 per cent adjustment in conditions of service for 2027, bringing the total remuneration increase to 9 per cent. Workers are also expected to receive a 10 per cent increase in 2028.

However, the Minority believes the proposed adjustments are insufficient to protect workers’ purchasing power, considering the financial pressures they continue to experience.

In its statement, the caucus described the agreement in strong terms, arguing that the proposed increases would do little to improve the living conditions of workers whose incomes are already under pressure from rising prices of essential goods and services.

The Minority further recalled that public sector workers received salary increases of 10 per cent in 2025 and 9 per cent in 2026.

However, it argued that these adjustments had failed to keep pace with cumulative inflation, leaving many employees struggling to maintain their standard of living.

The caucus also pointed to increases in electricity and water tariffs, as well as other essential household expenses, which it believes have significantly reduced the value of workers’ earnings.

In a strongly worded statement, the Minority declared:

“To offer Ghanaian public sector workers a meager 9% total remuneration increase for 2027 (8% base pay and 1% conditions of service) and 10% for 2028 is nothing short of an insult. This miserly adjustment is a direct assault on the dignity of workers.”

The caucus has consequently called for an immediate review of the remuneration agreement, demanding that the Public Services Joint Standing Negotiating Committee (PSJSNC) be reconvened to negotiate what it describes as a living wage that reflects the actual economic conditions facing Ghanaian workers.

It further insists that future salary negotiations must take into consideration the combined impact of rising utility tariffs and commodity prices instead of focusing exclusively on percentage increases in workers’ salaries.

The Minority has also questioned the role played by Organised Labour’s leadership in reaching the agreement, calling on union leaders to publish the proposals they submitted during negotiations and explain to their members why they accepted a two-year arrangement beginning with a 9 per cent increase.

According to the caucus, workers deserve transparency and accountability from those representing their interests in negotiations with the government.

It also urged the government not to use the ongoing institutional transition from the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission to the Independent Public Emoluments Commission as a justification for agreeing to what it considers inadequate remuneration.

Despite the Minority’s objections, the government and Organised Labour have defended the two-year agreement as a framework intended to provide predictability and stability in public sector remuneration.

The Trades Union Congress Secretary-General, Joshua Ansah, has acknowledged that the agreement may not satisfy every expectation but maintained that the 2027 base pay adjustment is above the prevailing inflation rate and represents progress in efforts to protect workers’ purchasing power.

The Minority, however, remains dissatisfied and insists that Ghanaian workers deserve better compensation in view of the economic pressures confronting households.

“The Ghanaian worker deserves dignity, economic justice, and a fair share of national prosperity,” the caucus stated.

The controversy surrounding the agreement is likely to intensify discussions about workers’ welfare, the cost of living and the responsibility of government and organised labour to ensure that salary adjustments translate into meaningful improvements in employees’ lives.

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