Labour Unions Call Off Strike As Gov’t Agrees On 15% COLA

For about two weeks of industrial strike, the Organized Labour Unions have instructed all striking teachers and teacher unions to return back to work after the government’s decision to pay 15% Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) to all public sector workers.

After the initial back and forth, the government and labour unions have finally come to an agreement over the 20% Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) on Thursday, July 14.

Per the agreement reached between the two parties, the government and the leaders of the unions agreed on a 15% Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) to take retrospective effect from July 1, 2022.

“The Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) will be paid at a rate of 15 percent of base pay. That the effective date of the payment of COLA is 1st July 2022, ” Employment and Labour Relations Minister, Ignatius Baffuor Awuah announced on Thursday.

The government delegation that met and agreed on the 15% COLA included, the Minister for National Security, Albert Kan-Dapaah, Minister for Education, Dr Yaw Adutwum, Minister for Employment and Labour Relations, Ignatius Baffler Awuah and Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Attah.

Recall, Znewsgh.com reported that the leadership of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) the National Association of Graduate Teachers (, NAGRAT) Coalition of Concerned Teachers (CCT) and Teachers & Educational Workers’ Union (TEWU) have instructed their members to stop their services until further notice.

Thomas Musah Tanko, General Secretary of GNAT announced the decision on Monday in Accra.

The aggrieved teachers earlier on gave the government an ultimatum which was the ending of June 2022 to approve the 20% Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) or risk the anger of over 240,000 teachers nationwide.

According to GNAT, the current delay continues to affect the meagre earnings of workers.