The Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana (JUSAG) has insisted that it will not call off its nationwide strike until the government approves the Judicial Council’s advice on the association’s conditions of service.
The association’s General Secretary, Abdulai Yakubu, said approval of the substantive advice remained a precondition for ending the industrial action, despite renewed engagements with government officials.
Speaking on Channel One Newsroom on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, he said the association had consulted the Judicial Council, which maintained its position on the matter.
“We have made our position clear that approval of the substantive advice is the pre-condition for calling off the strike. But we consulted with the Judicial Council today, and that is the position that the Council still maintains,” he said.
Mr Yakubu disclosed that JUSAG had held meetings with key stakeholders, including the Chief Justice, Judicial Service Management, the Minister for Labour, Jobs and Employment, and the Attorney-General.
He described the meeting with the Attorney-General as positive, saying Dr Dominic Ayine had a better understanding of the association’s concerns because he was involved in the process that produced the conditions of service instrument.
According to him, Dr Ayine had assured the association that he would meet the Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, to discuss how its outstanding demands could be addressed.
JUSAG is seeking approval of a revised arrangement that reflects the Judicial Council’s advice before considering proposals for the payment of salary arrears.
Mr Yakubu said the Finance Minister’s proposed payment of the arrears in two instalments was not necessarily a problem for the association, but stressed that the substantive approval had to be settled first.
“You give timelines for payment of arrears based on the substantive approval. When there are issues with the substantive approval, and you go to give timelines for payment of the arrears, you are not really solving the issues,” he said.
He said the association had engaged the government for about 10 months before resorting to industrial action.
“We have shown that empathy and good faith for 10 months, we’re in the 11th month. We still don’t have our demands,” he added.
The strike has disrupted Judicial Service operations and affected court users. Mr Yakubu acknowledged the difficulties faced by litigants and remand prisoners but urged the government to act urgently to resolve the dispute.
