A 50 per cent increase in base pay has been proposed by the Teachers and Educational Workers’ Union (TEWU of TUC-Ghana) ahead of its meeting with the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations.

This was made known by the National Chairperson, Salamatu Mahamah Braimah, on Thursday, October 9, while speaking to the media. She attributed the proposed salary increment to the soaring cost of living, rising utility tariffs, and increased fuel prices.

According to her, these factors are making it impossible for employees to sustain their livelihoods.“We are selling our labour, and as you know, each time things change, it means that our working conditions must change as well. So we are going into these negotiations with the mindset that there will be an improvement in the base pay. I think the minimum will be 50%. So even if the government gives us 100% we will say thank you, Mr Government or Mr President and walk away,” she said.

However, the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations is expected to engage the union in salary negotiations in the coming days. The Union began its nationwide strike on Friday, September 19, to protest the government's inaction on addressing their long-standing concerns about conditions of service, but suspended the strike after an engagement with the National Labour Commission (NLC).

The Union’s strike disrupted schools across the country, as the union resisted calls to suspend industrial action. Despite mounting pressure from the National Labour Commission, the union insisted it would only return to work after its demands were met.

Meanwhile, the Minister for Employment and Labour Relations, Abdul-Rashid Pelpuo, has stated that the salary delays affecting thousands of nurses, teachers, and junior doctors are due to lapses under the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration.

Speaking to the media on Wednesday, October 8, Dr. Pelpuo blamed the NPP’s poor recruitment practices and fiscal indiscipline for the current plight of nurses and doctors.

“The situation is currently unfair, but it is a culmination of events that took place in the last regime before the current regime took over. People were engaged to work without due process. For you to work and be paid, you need clearance to show that there is money in the account and that your employment has been approved. That didn’t happen in this respect,” he said.

Ghana, in recent times, has witnessed several protests from government employees, specifically, teachers, nurses, and doctors. According to him, the former government handed over a poorly planned budget that didn’t make room to pay nurses, teachers, and doctors.

As such, he called the protesting groups to call for calm as the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration will work to rectify the situation.

“We are taking it up very seriously, and I can assure the nurses, teachers, and junior doctors who are caught up in the process that we are going to respond to them before the end of the year,” he stated.

On Tuesday, September 30, Newly Posted Teachers group, comprising of graduates from Colleges of Education and universities submitted their petition to the Finance Ministry, which calls on the government to clear debts owed them.

The group initially declared their intention to hit the streets over salaries owed them on Tuesday, September 23. However, speaking to Citi News, the group’s Lead Convener, Simon Kofi Nartey, noted that the Ministry of Education and other relevant authorities are yet to respond to their earlier petitions, thus rescheduling the protest to September 30.

Simon Kofi Nartey called on the government to settle their 12 months and 8 months, respectively, within the given ultimatum. According to him, the group will have no option but to hit the streets if the government does not treat their demands with urgency.

“It is rather unfortunate that, as we speak, nothing has been done about the concerns we raised at our press conference. We have no option but to take to the streets to let Ghanaians know what is happening. We have already met with the Greater Accra Regional Police Command and agreed on September 30 for the demonstration,” he said.

Also on October 3, the Junior Doctors’ Association of Ghana (JDA-GH) declared its intention to withdrawn nationwide over unpaid salaries and alleged untreatment from the government.

However, the group made a U-turn over its nationwide strike, which was expected to commence on Tuesday, October 6. The decision to suspend the withdrawal of services follows constructive discussions with the Ministry of Health (MoH) and other key stakeholders.

This was contained in a press statement issued by the Association’s leadership on Monday, October 6. According to the statement, “After careful consideration and following assurances from the Ministry of Health and relevant stakeholders, the Association has decided to suspend its planned industrial action to allow for the full implementation of the agreed resolutions”.

The group lamented that over 200 junior doctors have been left unpaid for 10 to 14 months. According to the Association, some medical officers have been suspended without explanation, even though they were previously on the government payroll.

It also emphasized that more than 800 medical officers are yet to be assigned to hospitals despite numerous engagements with authorities on the matter.

“Despite goodwill shown towards the government, no solutions have been offered. The continued exploitation of junior doctors will no longer be tolerated,” the statement read.

On Thursday, October 2, the Coalition of Unpaid Nurses and Midwives staged a protest to register similar sentiments. Over 7,000 nurses and midwives who gathered at the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Health lamented over working without salaries for nine to ten months.

Convenor of the coalition, Stephen Kwadwo Takyiah, described the situation as unfair and unsustainable. Adding, “We are not comfortable hitting the streets, but it has become necessary. We are citizens, trained as professional nurses and midwives from nursing training colleges and universities.

“We graduated in 2020, completed our rotations, and waited at home for three years. In July 2024, the Ministry of Health announced it had secured financial clearance from the Ministry of Finance for our employment.

“The portals were opened, we registered, and by October 2024, we received postings and reported to work in December. Out of the 15,000 announced, about 13,000 took up postings.

“But in April 2025, only some of our colleagues started receiving salaries. As we speak, just over 6,500 have been paid, while nearly 7,000 of us have worked for close to 10 months without pay”.

In response, the Minister for Health, Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, urged the group to exercise patience, as the government has taken steps to address their displeasure.

Addressing the aggrieved group on Thursday, October 2, the Minister disclosed that the government will include funds to settle their unpaid salaries in next year’s budget.

On June 2, members of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) withdrew from their posts over delays in their 2024 Collective Agreement.

In response, the National Labour Commission (NLC) filed an ex parte application on Thursday, June 5. A 10-day injunction was placed on the nationwide strike after the Industrial and Labour Division of the High Court in Accra described the protest as illegal.

The GRNMA disclosed that it had yet to formally receive a court order restraining its ongoing strike. Public Relations Officer of the GRNMA, Joseph Krampah, insisted that the group was proceeding with the strike until an official injunction notice was served.

Health Minister Mintah Akandoh, on the matter, revealed that the government was unable to meet the conditions of service for the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), currently on strike, this year.

Engaging the press, the sector minister announced that the conditions of service being requested to be implemented were not captured in the 2025 budget statement; hence, it will "completely throw the economy off gear if implemented in the manner it currently exists."

"We are mindful of the serious economic consequences of unbudgeted expenditure and want to avoid the economic slippages that have led to the hardship in the recent past," the Health Minister revealed.

The Minority in Parliament entreated the government to put in the necessary measures to ensure the strike action was called off. Dr Afriyie Ayew told the government to work towards providing the conditions of service worked on by the previous government.

“It is our belief that governance is a continuous process regardless of which party is in government public servants are paid, collective bargaining rights, which are agreed on, remain their rights regardless of which government takes over after elections.”The nationwide strike by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) took a heavy toll on the delivery of healthcare services, with many lives being lost due to patients being stranded.

The Mortuary Workers Association of Ghana (MOWAG) bemoaned the evident rise in mortality cases amid the ongoing strike by nurses and midwives in the country.

General Secretary of MOWAG, Richard Kofi Jordan, noted that the death rate has increased by approximately 100% to 150% due to nurses not being at post.

“Looking at the [number] of deaths compared to the past and now, the death toll has increased significantly, and it is not surprising because of the impact of the nurse’s absence. On average, where we are to record about 10 a day, we are recording about 20 to 25. This tells you that the absence of our nurses is becoming so severe,” he said.

Making reference to Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, he mentioned that “we know the average in Korle Bu, you can have about 50 this time. It has risen above that. Other facilities (like) KATH and all that, we are hearing it.”According to him, the nurses who are no longer at their posts were mitigating the daily death rate across medical facilities in Accra.. Public