Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga has commended the Labour Union’s acceptance of the 10% salary increase, interpreting it as a strong vote of confidence in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government.
Ayariga emphasized that the agreement signifies the workers’ trust in the government’s economic policies and its commitment to enhancing their welfare.
“The workers of this country, led by their leaders, gladly accepted the 10% increase. Opting for a 10% increase instead of 25% is a clear vote of confidence in the leadership because they believe that when President John Mahama collects taxes, it will be put to good use, not squandered,” he remarked.
On the other hand, the Minority expressed strong disapproval of the 10% salary hike for public sector workers, calling it inadequate in light of the rising cost of living.
The Minority caucus argued that the 10% increase does not meet the workers’ expectations.
Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin pointed out: “In 2017, public sector workers received a 12.5% pay increase. In 2018, it was 11%, followed by 15% in 2020, and 4% with an additional 15% interim premium in 2021. In 2022, there was a 15% Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) on the base salary.
“In 2023 there was a 30% increase and in 2024, there was a 23% between January and June and between July and December, there was a 25%. We are just ahead of an increment of 10%. The leader of government business must take note of this and inform the President that these are the numbers he came to meet.
“The ordinary Ghanaian worker has a higher expectation in this 133-24-hour economy. They have a legitimate expectation that President Mahama will do better. The 10% is unacceptable.”
