Ghana National Lottery Authority urges union to end strike over salary dispute
The Authority said it is pursuing arbitration through the National Labour Commission while seeking to keep its operations running.
Ghana.- Ghana’s National Lottery Authority (NLA) has urged its local union and employees to end a sit-down strike over a disputed 2026 salary increase and return to negotiations.
The call followed a decision by the union to begin industrial action on Monday, August 24, after negotiations over the proposed salary adjustment reached an impasse.
The NLA said the union had requested a 17 per cent salary increase for all employees for 2026, while management approved a 12 per cent increase.
Management attributed the difference partly to a tax liability involving staff salaries. The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) had notified the NLA of unpaid taxes covering the 2016 to 2022 period, which the Authority said resulted from the incorrect application of income tax.
Following discussions with the GRA, the NLA Board and management agreed to settle more than GH¢5m (US$454,000) in outstanding taxes without requiring employees to bear the cost.
The Authority said it also agreed to correct the tax treatment applied to employee salaries going forward. This resulted in higher tax deductions and reduced employees’ net salaries, prompting the union to seek the 17 per cent increase as compensation for the impact.
The NLA said the Board initially approved a 10 per cent increase after considering the tax liability and other budgetary constraints. Management subsequently negotiated an additional two percentage points, bringing the proposed increase to 12 per cent.
However, the union rejected the offer, declared a deadlock and referred the dispute to the National Labour Commission (NLC).
The Authority disclosed that it had sought guidance from the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC), in a written letter on February 11, 2026. The FWSC responded on June 11 and advised the management to implement an 8 per cent salary increase, based on its assessment of the NLA’s financial position.
Despite the unresolved dispute, the lottery authority said it remains engaged with the NLC and is pursuing an amicable settlement through arbitration.
Management called on the union and employees to suspend the strike and demonstration and return to the negotiation process. The NLA said it remains committed to resolving the pay disagreement while continuing to fulfil its mandate of raising revenue for national development.
It also assured lottery marketing companies, private lotto operators, third-party collaborators and other stakeholders that its operations and mandate remain a priority during the dispute.
