JUSAG, SSAJUG suspend strike from November 10
The Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana (JUSAG) and the Senior Staff Association of the Judicial Service of Ghana (SSAJUG) have suspended their indefinite strike, effective Tuesday, November 10, 2026, while awaiting the finalisation of commitments made by the government.
The decision was announced in a joint statement issued on Monday, November 9, and signed by JUSAG National President Samuel Afotey Otu and SSAJUG National President Marilyn E. M. Suttah on behalf of the unions’ National Executive Councils.
The statement said the leadership of both unions had received official communication from the Office of the President concerning outstanding issues relating to the review of salaries and allowances for Judicial Service staff.
The unions also met with Management, led by the Chief Justice and supported by Justice Gabriel Scott Pwamang and the Judicial Secretary, to discuss the revised approval granted by the government.
According to the statement, the government’s revised position had largely addressed the outstanding concerns. The union leaders subsequently presented a revised response to the commitments communicated by the Presidency as the final step towards resolving the dispute.
“In view of this development, JUSAG and SSAJUG have resolved to suspend the strike action effective Tuesday, 10th November 2026 pending the finalisation of the commitments,” the statement said.
The two associations expressed appreciation to President John Dramani Mahama, Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, Justice Gabriel Scott Pwamang, Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Dr Dominic A. Ayine, Judicial Secretary Ahmed Musah, and Judicial Service Management for their leadership in resolving the impasse.
They also thanked their members for standing by the unions throughout the industrial action and commended the media for its professional coverage of the strike.
Background
The suspension ends a week-long disruption of court activities that began on Monday, November 2, 2026.
JUSAG declared an indefinite nationwide strike on October 30, 2026, accusing the government of failing to approve and implement revised salaries and allowances for its members.
Led by General Secretary Abdulai Yakubu, the union instructed all Judicial Service employees to stay away from work until the President approved the revised pay package and ensured payment in November, including arrears covering January to October 2026.
The association based its demands on Article 149 of the 1992 Constitution and the Judicial Service (Terms and Conditions of Service) Regulations, C.I. 141, which provide for annual salary reviews based on recommendations from the Judicial Council.
JUSAG said it had informed the National Labour Commission (NLC) of its intention to embark on the strike on October 23, following unsuccessful attempts dating back to December 2025 to secure the 2026 salary review. It also rejected a proposal from the Ministry of Finance to pay the outstanding arrears in instalments without a definite payment schedule.
The industrial action led to the closure of court registries nationwide from November 2, bringing proceedings to a halt and leaving many litigants stranded. Although the Supreme Court sat on November 3 and 4 following directives from Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, JUSAG subsequently instructed staff of the apex court to join the strike.
On Sunday, November 8, JUSAG and SSAJUG announced an extension of the industrial action, explaining that they had not received official feedback by 4:00 p.m. on their revised final demands submitted to the government on Thursday, November 5.
The strike also raised concerns about access to justice. On Monday, November 9, the Centre for Legitimacy and Rule of Law (CLRL) estimated that more than 2,000 people arrested since the industrial action began had been unable to secure court decisions on their bail or remand status. The situation, it said, violated the constitutional requirement for arrested persons to be brought before a court within 48 hours.
The Minority Caucus in Parliament had also called on President Mahama to intervene personally to bring the dispute to an end.
Following the suspension, Judicial Service staff are expected to resume work on Tuesday, November 10, as the unions await the finalisation of the government’s commitments.
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