The Minority in Parliament is demanding an urgent reopening of negotiations on the 2027–2028 public sector salary agreement, arguing that the approved adjustments will fail to protect workers against rising living costs.
The caucus wants the government and organised labour to reconvene the Public Services Joint Standing Negotiating Committee (PSJSNC) to reconsider the proposed increases and agree on what it describes as a living wage that reflects the actual cost of living.
The demand follows the conclusion of a Multi-Year Public Service Remuneration Agreement on October 28, which provides for a 9 per cent increase in public sector remuneration in 2027 and a further 10 per cent adjustment in 2028.
Under the agreement, workers will receive an 8 per cent increase in base pay and an additional 1 per cent adjustment in conditions of service in 2027.
However, the Minority Caucus on Employment, Labour Relations and Pensions says the arrangement does not adequately address the financial pressures confronting public sector employees.
In a statement issued on October 30 and signed by the committee’s Ranking Member, Mavis Nkansah Boadu, the caucus described the 9 per cent adjustment for 2027 as an insult to Ghanaian workers.
It argued that the proposed increases had failed to take into account the cumulative effect of rising electricity and water tariffs, transport fares, rent and prices of essential household goods.
According to the Minority, the adjustments risk further eroding workers’ purchasing power, particularly among public sector employees already struggling to meet their basic household expenses.
The caucus expressed disappointment with the outcome of the negotiations, insisting that salary adjustments should be determined by prevailing economic conditions and the actual financial needs of workers.
It is therefore urging the government and organised labour to return to the negotiating table and develop a remuneration framework that adequately reflects the cost of living.
The Minority maintained that future wage negotiations must go beyond nominal percentage increases and consider the broader economic realities confronting Ghanaian workers.
