Some NLA staff during the protest
OVER HUNDREDS of National Lottery Authority (NLA) staff have laid down their tools and embarked on an indefinite strike, demanding the immediate removal of Director-General, Alhaji Mohammed Abdul-Salam.
The aggrieved workers, all clad in red attires and headgear – a traditional symbol of war and anger – on Monday morning besieged the Head Office of the Authority in Accra, chanting war songs and holding placards with damning inscriptions. Some of the placards read: “Alhaji Mohammed Abdul-Salam Must Go!”, “Poor Leadership Is Killing NLA”, “We Are Tired Of Empty Promises”, “Pay Us Our 17% now!” and “Abdul-Salam Has Failed Us”.
According to the striking staff, the industrial action was triggered by the Director-General’s inability to fulfil the agreed 17% salary increment for 2026, despite several assurances and negotiations.
The workers say morale at the Authority has hit rock bottom under the current leadership, accusing Alhaji Abdul-Salam of poor leadership, insensitivity to staff welfare, and a lack of direction for the state institution that is a major revenue generator for government.
Murphy Adu-Kwao, Local Union Secretary of the Financial Business and Services Employees Union (FBSEU) at the NLA, said the current industrial action did not come as a surprise, as workers had earlier served notice of their intention to strike.
“Some time ago the NLA workers made an attempt to embark on this strike. We sent a letter to the Ministry of Employment, the National Labour Commission, Management and even the Ministry of Finance, telling them that the Director-General is not managing things well, which is not in line with the reset agenda. Hence, we doubted that our boss has the mandate to ensure that NLA will progress,” he told the media.
Mr. Adu-Kwao described the working relationship between staff and management as poor, saying, “As it stands now, we do not have equipment to aid in our work. NLA has broken down vehicles, no working tools for over one and a half years,” he lamented.
He said the worst of their challenges has to do with their salaries. “If you come to NLA, the salary I receive now compared to what I received in 2024, my current salary is lesser than my previous salary. And this is because management, who have the mandate to reduce salary taxes, says there is an issue with the income taxes they used to deduct from our salary some time ago. Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has informed them that the way they deducted our taxes was not properly done, so now workers need to get a reduced salary structure. Meaning, if you used to receive GH¢10 at the end of the month, now you will receive GH¢8,” he explained.
“When we subjected it to the appropriate tax, every worker on average had a reduced salary of about 11%. It was a difficult situation for us,” he added.
To address the anomaly, the union engaged management on salary proposals.
“The union told management to find a way and fix the challenges concerning the increased tax on salaries. We sat with management for a salary proposal; we looked at the difference, so we proposed that if management is able to give workers a 25% increase in salary, it will offset the anomalies. We sat with management and till now we have not received any salary increase,” Mr. Adu-Kwao said.
He further revealed that the Director-General told them point-blank that aside from a proposed 12%, there is nothing more he can do. “Our Director told us point blank that aside the proposed 12%, there is nothing he can do for us. And we are saying that the 12% cannot fix our problem. We the union had negotiated with management and have agreed to 17%. Management came to tell us that the board has approved a budget and the increment is 12%, which is weird,” he stressed.
Mr. Adu-Kwao added that operations at the head office have been brought to a near standstill as offices remain locked, with the workers vowing not to return to work until their demands are met and the Director-General is removed from office.
NLA Urges Staff to Call Off Strike
Meanwhile, the management of the National Lottery Authority has issued an urgent call to its local staff union and workforce to immediately call off their sit-down strike and demonstration, urging employees to resume negotiations over an ongoing wage dispute that has led to the industrial action.
In a press statement issued on Monday, August 24, 2026, and signed by the board and management, the Authority reaffirmed its commitment to resolving the impasse peacefully while outlining the financial context that influenced its salary offer.
Management clarified that while the local union demanded a 17 per cent salary increase for 2026, the Authority granted a 12 per cent increase. According to management, this decision was directly tied to intervention regarding historical tax liabilities owed to the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).
The GRA notified the NLA of a backlog of unpaid income taxes on staff salaries covering six years, from 2016 to 2022, stemming from an incorrect tax application.
“After several meetings with the GRA, the board and management entered into an arrangement with the GRA to pay the tax arrears totalling over five million Ghana cedis at no cost to staff,” the statement revealed.
To prevent further liabilities, the board and management agreed to rectify the anomaly by applying appropriate statutory taxes to salaries going forward. However, this adjustment reduced staff net takeaway salaries, prompting the union to request a 17 per cent increment to cushion workers against the shortfall.
The statement also revealed that management had earlier written to the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) on February 11, 2026, seeking guidance. In its response dated June 11, 2026, the FWSC advised the Authority to increase salaries by 8 per cent, based on the NLA’s current financial capacity, 4 percentage points below management’s offer of 12 per cent.
Management affirmed that it is actively engaging the National Labour Commission (NLC) to achieve an amicable resolution through formal arbitration.
“Management wishes to assure its cherished patrons, Lotto Marketing Companies, Private Lotto Operators (PLOs), third-party collaborators, and all stakeholders that it remains fully committed to fulfilling its mandate to raise revenue for national development,” the statement concluded.
By Prince Fiifi Yorke