Tamale, Nov. 2, – The Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana (JUSAG) on Monday began an indefinite nationwide strike over delays in the approval and implementation of its members’ 2026 salary adjustments and the payment of outstanding allowances.

The Association is demanding approval of the Judicial Council’s recommendations on the 2026 salary review and payment of arrears covering January to October 2026.

It has directed its members to stay away from work until its demands are addressed.

The Northern Regional Chairman of JUSAG, Iddrisu Mohammed Sadat, said the action followed months of unsuccessful engagements with the relevant authorities over members’ welfare and conditions of service.

Speaking on WakeUp Tamale with Emmanuel Aryeh, he said the concerns dated back to January 2026, when members began experiencing delays in receiving their expected salary adjustments and allowances.

Although public sector workers generally benefited from annual salary increments, JUSAG members had not received their expected adjustments for the year, while some allowances remained unpaid, he said.

The Regional Chairman said the Association had pursued engagements and appeals to resolve the concerns, but those efforts had not yielded the desired results.

He acknowledged that the strike would inconvenience the public, particularly litigants and others who depended on the courts for judicial services, but said members could no longer continue working under the prevailing conditions.

“Though we know that this strike will affect the public, we believe it is necessary. We need to take this action to caution the relevant authorities and encourage our members to regain the energy and motivation to serve the public,” he said.

During a visit by Radio Tamale news team to the High Court and District Court premises in the Northern Region, the facilities were found closed, with security personnel stationed at the entrances.

The security personnel turned away litigants and other court users who had visited the premises to access judicial services.

Some JUSAG executives were also present to monitor compliance with the nationwide strike directive.

The industrial action is expected to disrupt court proceedings and administrative services, causing delays for litigants, lawyers and other court users.

Meanwhile, the Judicial Service Management has indicated that it is engaging relevant government stakeholders to find an amicable resolution to the dispute and restore normal court operations.

JUSAG said the strike would remain in force until a satisfactory resolution was reached and urged the government and relevant authorities to address its concerns.

By Fuseini Katali Issah and Mariam Alhassan