Accra, March 20, – Dr George Smith Graham, Chief Executive Officer of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC), has revealed that 22 labour strikes in 2024 alone cost Ghana a total of GHC 1.47 billion.
Speaking during President John Mahama’s meeting with Organised Labour on Tuesday, Dr Graham added that eight strikes in 2025 led to an additional loss of GHC 635 million.
“This year [2026] we’ve also experienced strikes, all of which come at a huge cost to the state,” he said.
Dr Graham pledged the FWSC’s support for the proposed Independent Emoluments Commission, which the government intends to establish to manage public sector pay professionally, independently, and transparently. He noted that the FWSC would work closely with labour unions to ensure the new system enhances worker satisfaction.
Highlighting persistent challenges in public sector pay, Dr Graham said the Single Spine Pay Structure (SSPS) requires an overhaul due to ongoing salary disparities.
“Currently, people doing similar work are paid differently, allowances have overtaken salaries, and disputes arise frequently because the system is fragmented, opaque, and increasingly unsustainable. Structural reform is now necessary to determine remuneration fairly,” he explained.
He commended government efforts to introduce the Emoluments Commission and stressed that while the SSPS initially corrected major distortions, salary inequalities have resurfaced over time.
Dr Graham also acknowledged Parliament’s role in passing bills affecting conditions of service, which contributed to the disparities, and cited labour unions’ involvement in decisions taken outside the SSPS framework. He called for a collaborative effort to address these issues through the new commission.
The meeting followed strikes and agitations by the Civil and Local Government Staff Association of Ghana (CLOGSAG) over salary structures and conditions of service. The union called off the strike on March 17, 2026.
GHBUSS
20 March 2026
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