Abraham Koomson is the Executive Secretary of the Ghana Federation of Labour
The Secretary General of the Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL), Abraham Koomson, has appealed to dissatisfied labour union members to remain calm and allow the ongoing 2026 Base Pay negotiations to proceed in accordance with the country’s labour laws.
Koomson cautioned that recent accusations of weak leadership and lack of transparency directed at Organised Labour risk undermining the credibility of the negotiation process between government and labour representatives.
“We must allow the process to unfold within the established framework of the law. Attacking leadership in the middle of negotiations only weakens our collective position,” he stressed.
A coalition of disgruntled labour unions has publicly broken ranks with Organised Labour, accusing its leadership of failing to defend the interests of ordinary Ghanaian workers in the ongoing base pay talks.
In a statement issued on Friday, the group expressed deep disappointment with how the negotiations have been handled, alleging poor judgment and limited transparency on the part of labour leaders.
The unions argued that Ghanaian workers are already burdened by high utility tariffs, excessive taxes, and rising living costs of living, insisting that labour negotiators should be demanding a far higher pay increase to reflect the current economic realities.
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According to the statement, Organised Labour initially proposed a 20% base pay increase, but unexpectedly reduced it to 15% on the first day of talks.
Government, meanwhile, reportedly countered with a 2.5% offer, later adjusted to 5% — a proposal the unions described as “insulting and lacking empathy.”
The breakaway unions maintained that a credible negotiation should have begun with at least a 50% demand, given the economic hardship facing workers.
The statement was signed by former officers and branch leaders from the education sector, including members already represented by the TUC, GNAT, NAGRAT, CCT, UTAG, and the University Administrators Union, signalling deepening divisions within Ghana’s labour front ahead of the 2026 wage agreement.
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