NPP Minority in Parliament goes berserk over Organised Labour’s acceptance of 9% pay increase and two-year deal
NPP Minority in Parliament goes berserk over Organised Labour’s acceptance of 9% pay increase and two-year deal
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Minority in Parliament has reacted with absolute fury following the announcement that Organised Labour has accepted a 9% salary increase and signed a two-year deal with the government.
Describing the agreement as a “total betrayal of the Ghanaian worker,” the Minority leadership accused union leaders of capitulating to executive pressure at a time when the cost of living demands far more aggressive relief.
In a hastily convened press conference at Parliament House days after the deal was made public, the Ranking Member of the Committee on Employment, Labour Relations and Pensions, Madam Mavis Nkansah Boadu, did not hold back.
The Minority argued that a 9% increment is effectively a pay cut when adjusted for current inflationary pressures and the rising cost of utilities.
“To go berserk is an understatement for how we feel about this compromise. Organised Labour went into negotiations promising to secure a living wage that reflects the economic realities on the ground. To walk out of the room with a meager 9% spread across a two-year freeze on further adjustments is a historic backstab to the workers, teachers, nurses, and civil servants of this country,” the NPP MP stated.
The backlash follows a joint communique issued by the government and union representatives, which finalized terms for the upcoming fiscal cycles.
According to sources close to the negotiations, the agreement includes: A 9% base pay increment for public sector workers and a two-year lock-in period, legally binding both parties to these terms until the end of the agreement cycle.
Commitments to non-salary benefits, including structured adjustments to transport and housing allowances.
While union executives defended the pact as a “strategic compromise” to secure macroeconomic stability and safeguard jobs, rank-and-file workers have expressed mixed reactions, with many echoing Parliament’s disapproval.
The NPP Minority has signaled that it will not let the matter rest. They have vowed to haul the Minister for Employment and Labour Relations, as well as the Minister for Finance, before the plenary to account for the metrics used to justify the 9% cap.
With the upcoming budget debates on the horizon, this labour dispute is set to become a major flashpoint on the floor of the House, as the opposition vows to champion the cause of disgruntled public sector workers nationwide.
