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 from Tuesday, 10 November 2026, while they await the finalisation of commitments made by the government.
The decision was announced in a joint statement issued on Monday, 9 November, and signed by JUSAG National President Samuel Afotey Otu and SSAJUG National President Marilyn E. M. Suttah on behalf of both unions’ National Executive Councils.
The unions said they had received official correspondence from the Office of the President concerning outstanding matters over the review of salaries and related allowances for Judicial Service staff.
Their leaders also met Management, led by the Chief Justice of the Republic and supported by Justice Gabriel Scott Pwamang and Judicial Secretary Ahamed Musah, to consider a revised government approval.
“The revised position of the Government largely addressed the outstanding issues. The leadership, in turn, submitted a revised position on the commitments received from the Office of His Excellency the President as a final path towards ending the industrial action,” the statement said.
It added: “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 unions thanked 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 Mr Ahamed Musah and Judicial Service Management for their leadership in resolving the dispute.
They also expressed appreciation to staff for their support during the strike and to the media for its coverage.
The suspension ends a week-long closure of the courts, which began on Monday, 2 November. JUSAG declared the nationwide indefinite strike on 30 October, accusing the government of failing to approve and pay revised salaries and allowances.
The union, led by General Secretary Abdulai Yakubu, had instructed Judicial Service staff to remain at home until the revised salaries were approved and paid in November, along with arrears from January to October 2026.
JUSAG said its position was based 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 on the advice of the Judicial Council. It notified the National Labour Commission on 23 October after unsuccessful efforts dating back to December 2025, and rejected a Ministry of Finance proposal to pay the arrears in instalments without a defined timetable.
Court registries nationwide were closed from 2 November, halting proceedings and leaving litigants stranded. The Supreme Court sat on 3 and 4 November on the orders of Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, before JUSAG instructed its staff to join the stoppage.
The unions extended the strike on Sunday, 8 November, saying they had received no official response by 4:00 p.m. to their revised final demand submitted on Thursday, 5 November.
The Centre for Legitimacy and Rule of Law said on Monday that more than 2,000 people arrested since the strike began had been unable to obtain decisions on bail or remand, potentially breaching the constitutional requirement for an arrested person to appear before a court within 48 hours.
The Minority Caucus in Parliament had urged President Mahama to intervene personally. Court staff are expected to return on Tuesday while the unions await final confirmation of the commitments.
