Government is under increasing pressure from labour unions to finalise negotiations on public sector base pay before the presentation of the 2026 budget to Parliament later this month.

The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has joined calls for an early conclusion of talks, citing the rising cost of living and economic hardships facing workers.

Speaking on PM Express on Tuesday, GNAT President, Rev. Isaac Owusu, said teachers and other public sector workers expect the government to reach an agreement with organised labour before the budget is finalised and presented to Parliament.

“We know that next year’s budget will be read in November, so there is a need for us to finish the negotiation so that the Finance Minister can factor such agreement into the budget,” he said.

Rev. Owusu noted that workers have endured a difficult year and deserve fair compensation in 2026. “We have tightened our belts for the whole of 2025, so we can’t continue to tighten them in 2026. Whatever is fairly due the Ghanaian worker, let us look at how best to push for it,” he stated.

He further hinted that GNAT would not accept any increment below 10 percent, describing it as the minimum fair adjustment in the face of persistent inflation and rising household expenses.

“Even though we have not started the negotiations, 10 percent is our minimum expectation. Let’s see what happens,” he added.

Other labour unions, including the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) and the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), have made similar demands, insisting that the negotiations must be concluded before the budget presentation to prevent implementation delays and ensure fairness to all public sector workers.