The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has expressed strong displeasure over the government’s premature public announcement regarding ongoing negotiations for the 2025 Minimum Wage.
According to the General Secretary of GNAT, Mr. Thomas Tanko Musah, the government’s decision to issue a press statement while discussions are still underway is unethical and constitutes an unfair labour practice.
In an interview with Accra-based Channel One News, Mr. Tanko Musah criticized the move, explaining that publicizing negotiations prematurely could create unrealistic expectations among workers.
“It shouldn’t have been. Normally at this particular stage, you don’t comment on it. You keep it on the table so that when you all agree on what to do, then you go out there and put out the new minimum wage, which the country and all the employers must observe,” he said.
Mr. Tanko Musah further revealed that the tripartite committee negotiating the minimum wage hopes to finalize discussions by the end of the week, after which negotiations on base pay will follow.
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“We are hoping that by the close of this week, the minimum wage should be fixed, and thereafter we will go ahead and look at the base pay. By next week, the base pay should also be done,” he stated.
The National Tripartite Committee, which includes representatives from the government, employers, and organized labour, is currently working to determine the new minimum wage.
While the government has indicated that base pay talks for public sector salaries will commence after the minimum wage negotiations, both processes are already behind schedule.
These discussions were initially expected to be finalized by the end of April 2024, in compliance with the Public Financial Management (PFM) Act.
GNAT’s stance highlights the need for a more collaborative and discreet approach to wage negotiations to ensure that agreements are reached without unnecessary public distractions or misunderstandings.
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