Workers of the National Identification Authority have announced plans to embark on an indefinite industrial action beginning May 13, 2026, over prolonged delays in the approval and implementation of a migration report affecting staff salaries, promotions, and placement within the institution.
The planned strike, declared by the Public Services Workers’ Union of the Trades Union Congress, follows growing frustration among employees who say they have waited nearly two years for the completion of a process intended to regularise their employment structure and improve conditions of service.
In a notice dated May 6, the union accused the Finance Ministry of causing what it described as an excessive and unjustified delay in granting final approval for the migration exercise despite earlier agreements and administrative progress already achieved.
According to the union, the Scheme of Service for staff of the National Identification Authority received official approval in July 2024, creating the foundation for the migration process which subsequently commenced in December of the same year. However, workers insist that twenty two months after the process began, implementation remains incomplete, leaving numerous employees without their rightful salaries, placements, and career advancements.
In the strike declaration addressed to the National Labour Commission and management of the Authority, PSWU General Secretary Bernard Adjei stated that the prolonged delay has denied workers the correct placement structures, corresponding salary levels, and outstanding promotions due them under the migration framework.
The union acknowledged that management of the Authority has engaged stakeholders on multiple occasions and offered assurances regarding resolution of the matter. Nevertheless, it stressed that repeated consultations and negotiations have failed to deliver any concrete outcome.
According to the union, every available institutional channel has been pursued in an effort to expedite the process and attract the necessary attention from relevant authorities, yet the issue remains unresolved despite its significance to staff welfare and organisational stability.
The PSWU further cautioned that the prolonged uncertainty risks damaging industrial harmony within the National Identification Authority and could trigger wider dissatisfaction among employees if immediate intervention is not undertaken.
The migration exercise is intended to properly align employee positions, salary grades, and career progression pathways within the Authority based on qualifications, responsibilities, and years of experience. Workers argue that failure to implement the arrangement has left many staff members trapped on inaccurate salary structures while simultaneously blocking deserving promotions and professional advancement.
The union explained that the decision to proceed with industrial action followed extensive internal consultations among workers, ultimately leaving union leadership with what it described as no viable alternative except to support the strike action.
The notice warned that unless the necessary approvals for implementation of the migration report are secured before May 13, 2026, the indefinite strike will commence without further engagement.
Copies of the notice were also forwarded to the Finance Minister, the National Security Coordinator, the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, and the Divisional Secretary of PSWU at the National Identification Authority.
The planned industrial action is expected to significantly disrupt operations at the National Identification Authority, the state institution responsible for the issuance of the Ghana Card and the management of Ghana’s national identification database.
