NLA workers suspend strike after talks over salary adjustment
Workers of the National Lottery Authority (NLA) have suspended their sit-down strike and resumed duty following renewed engagements with management and government over their demand for an improved salary adjustment.
The industrial action, which began on Monday, August 24, 2026, followed a disagreement over the proposed 12 per cent salary increase for 2026, with workers insisting on a higher adjustment.
NLA Director-General Mohammed Abdul-Salam said management was surprised by the strike because the dispute had already been referred to the Labour Commission and was progressing towards arbitration.
Speaking on Eyewitness News on Monday, he said management immediately contacted the Labour Minister after the workers commenced the action, resulting in discussions involving the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, the NLA Board Chairman and representatives of the unions.
Mr Abdul-Salam confirmed that the workers had called off the strike and returned to their normal duties.
“The staff have called off the action, and things are calm. The draw that was delayed earlier in the morning has been carried through, and we are ensuring that things are steady,” he said.
“It has been called off. It has been called off, and they are back to their normal work activities,” he added.
The disagreement over salaries is partly linked to concerns about the effect of tax deductions on workers' take-home pay.
According to Mr Abdul-Salam, an audit covering the period from 2016 to 2022 found that some allowances paid to NLA employees had not been subjected to the required income tax.
He said the NLA was subsequently required to settle almost GH¢5 million in outstanding taxes, a liability that management absorbed.
The Director-General explained that workers believe the implementation of the revised tax calculations has substantially reduced their take-home pay, prompting them to demand a higher salary adjustment to cushion the impact.
He, however, said the NLA is facing significant financial challenges, including accumulated tax liabilities of more than GH¢2 billion, outstanding contractual obligations and other staff-related expenses.
Mr Abdul-Salam said the authority had entered into an agreement with the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to address its tax obligations and was appealing to the Finance Minister for a waiver of accumulated penalties.
“We have entered agreement with GRA and we are…appealing to the Minister of Finance if there can be a waiver on the accumulated penalties and all that because certainly NLA will find it difficult to pay over two billion in taxes,” he said.
The suspension of the strike allows the NLA to resume normal operations while discussions continue to resolve the outstanding salary dispute.