National Lottery Authority urges staff to end strike over salary dispute

The National Lottery Authority (NLA) has appealed to its staff and local union to cancel a planned sit-down strike and demonstration scheduled for August 24. The industrial action stems from a deadlock in salary negotiations for 2026.

The union is demanding a 17 percent salary increase to offset reduced net pay caused by corrected income tax applications. Management has offered a 12 percent increase, citing budgetary constraints and a requirement to settle over GHC5 million in tax arrears. These arrears resulted from the incorrect application of income tax on staff salaries between 2016 and 2022.

The NLA stated that it reached an agreement with the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to pay the tax arrears at no cost to employees. While the Authority has implemented correct tax rates moving forward, the resulting impact on take-home pay led the union to seek a higher adjustment. The matter has been referred to the National Labour Commission (NLC) for resolution.