KEY POINTS

• JUSAG threatens an indefinite strike from November 2.

• The association wants its 2026 salary review approved by October 31.

• It demands November payment and arrears from January to October.

The Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana, JUSAG, has threatened to embark on an indefinite strike from November 2, 2026, if the government fails to approve and pay its members’ revised salaries and allowances for the year.

The association has given the government until the end of October to approve recommendations submitted by the Judicial Council on the 2026 salary review. It is also demanding payment of the revised salaries in November, including outstanding arrears covering January to October.

In a notice dated October 23 and addressed to the National Labour Commission, JUSAG said prolonged delays in completing the salary review process had increased frustration among its members and weakened staff morale.

Salary review delays trigger warning

JUSAG said the Judicial Council had completed its work on the 2026 salary review and submitted its recommendations to President John Dramani Mahama for consideration.

The process is governed by Article 149 of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution and the Judicial Service (Terms and Conditions of Service) Regulations, 2025, also known as C.I. 141.

According to the association, it first wrote to the Judicial Council on January 19, 2026, requesting that the review be expedited. It followed up with another letter on September 10 after the process remained unresolved.

JUSAG also cited appeals made during its Second Quadrennial Delegates’ Conference in Tamale in August, the 45th Association of Magistrates and Judges of Ghana conference in Accra in September, and the Chief Justice’s Staff Durbar in Tamale.

The association said these engagements had produced assurances but no concrete action towards approving the recommendations and paying the revised salaries.

Association compares pay with other public workers

JUSAG expressed concern that other public sector workers had received their revised 2026 salaries in January, while Judicial Service employees were still awaiting their adjustments nearly ten months into the year.

It said the delay was particularly troubling because organised labour had already begun negotiations on the base pay for 2027, even though its members had yet to receive their reviewed salaries and allowances for 2026.

The association warned that the prolonged uncertainty had heightened tensions and affected morale among Judicial Service staff.

It also said the delay had created hardship for members who continued to wait for the outcome of the review process.

Government given deadline to meet demands

JUSAG’s National Executive Council has set out two main demands for the government.

First, it wants the Judicial Council’s recommendations on the 2026 salary review approved by the end of October. Second, it wants the revised salaries paid in November, alongside arrears covering the first ten months of the year.

The association said it had repeatedly exercised restraint because of the potential consequences of industrial action for the administration of justice and national security.

It had urged dissatisfied members to remain patient while it continued engaging the Judicial Service management and government authorities.

However, JUSAG said its members’ patience had been exhausted, prompting the decision to set a final deadline.

Strike could disrupt judicial services

The association has warned that failure to meet its demands by Sunday, November 1, will lead to an indefinite strike beginning on Monday, November 2.

According to the notice, the industrial action will continue until the demands are met.

A strike by Judicial Service staff could disrupt administrative and support operations within Ghana’s justice system, depending on the level of participation and the services affected.

The threatened action places pressure on the government and relevant judicial authorities to resolve the salary dispute before the deadline and avert a potential interruption to court-related services.

As of the reports published on October 26, JUSAG had issued the warning, but the planned strike remained conditional on the government’s response.