Organised Labour has secured a 23% increment in the base pay for the Year 2024, after a two-day negotiation with the government.
This is expected to take effect from January 1, 2024 to June 2024. The raise is however, to be readjusted upwards with an additional 2% from July 2024 to December 2024, bringing the total increase for the year to 25%.
Labour had originally tabled a demand for over 70% increment in the base pay for 2024.
The demand, it had insisted, was to cushion workers against the rising cost of living in the country.
“We agreed that the minimum wage would be reviewed upwards by 22%, averaging from GH₵14.88 to GH₵18.15…We have concluded that the national base pay will be increased by 23% between 1st February 2024 to 30 June 2024 and subsequently an additional 2% increment will be added making it 25% from July to December 2024,” said the Minister for Employment and Labour Relations, Ignatius Baffour Awuah.
Addressing a news conference after the 23% increment, the Secretary General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Dr Yaw Baah, said “… We have concluded that the national base pay would be increased by 23%.”
He expressed optimism that the government will diligently implement the decision.
The Civil and Local Government Staff Association of Ghana (CLOGSAG) Executive Secretary, Dr Isaac Bampoe Addo, is however not enthused about the increment.
According to him, the government should have enough money to give to labour in their next negotiations for an increment in base pay, adding that to achieve this, government ought to start “looking at the wastage in our system.”
“Government upon government, whatever colour it is, has always complained about no money, they’ve given all sorts of reasons but we have resolved that this must change,” he added.