Members of the Divisional Executive Council of the Public Services Workers' Union (PSWU)—National Identification Authority (NIA) will return to their posts today to offer services to customers.

The union called off its strike action to demand payment of operational support allowance over the weekend.

This decision comes after the National Labour Commission (NLC) directed the union to immediately call off its ongoing strike, describing the action as unlawful.

The NLC has directed the National Union to engage the NIA, Ministry of Finance, and Fair Wages and Salaries Commission on the payment of the 20% operational support allowance. The parties are to report to the Commission on 3rd July at 1:30pm.

The union on Tuesday, June 24, embarked on an indefinite strike action.

According to the union, the Ministry of Finance has failed to provide a definitive commitment or timeline regarding the payment of the operational support allowance, the only allowance NIA staff get to supplement their meagre basic pay.

This allowance was the outcome of extensive negotiations concluded in July 2024 between the government's team comprising the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission and the Ministry of Finance, and representatives of the Union.

"In line with the agreement reached, payment of the allowance commenced in August 2024 and continued through to December 2024. Unfortunately, these payments have stalled since January 2025," the union revealed in a statement dated June 23.

The union had a final round of engagement with the Ministry of Finance on June 23 after receiving assurances from NIA Management, who communicated that tireless efforts were being made to resolve the matter and resume payments.

According to the union, "despite this and many assurances, as of today, especially after a crunch meeting at the Finance Ministry, no concrete steps or timelines have been provided to address the matter."

"Repeated follow-ups, constructive engagement, and our demonstrated willingness to cooperate in good faith have regrettably not been met with the urgency and seriousness this issue demands," it added.

Despite acknowledging the efforts of stakeholders, the union stated that "the absence of concrete action from the Ministry of Finance has left our members spread across the Head Office, Regional Offices, Premium Centres, and District Offices-under severe financial and emotional strain."

"Consequently, all PSWU members at the NIA are directed to withdraw their services indefinitely, starting Tuesday, June 24, 2025, until our legitimate concerns are addressed and outstanding payments resumed," the statement consequently added.

The union urged its members to remain united, peaceful, and law-abiding throughout this period.

The Union, nonetheless, noted that it was open to constructive dialogue, provided such discussions lead to prompt and full payment of the Operational Support Allowance as negotiated, agreed and signed.

The governing board and management of the National Identification Authority (NIA) reacted to the decision by the NIA Division of the Public Services Workers' Union (PSWU) of TUC (Ghana) to embark on an indefinite strike action.

The management and board called on the union to resume work as they work to secure the necessary commitment from the Ministry of Finance.

In a statement dated June 24, NIA Management and Board noted that it held a strategic meeting with the Chief Executive Officer of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC), Dr. George Smith-Graham, and his team, over the matter.

At the end of the meeting, the parties present concluded that the Ministry of Finance must provide a definitive timeline and written commitment to the resumption of the Operational Support Allowance payments.

"This commitment is critical to ensure the continuity of NIA operations and avoid the potential loss of revenue and disruption to essential national services, especially ID verification across sectors that rely heavily on the Ghana Card," the statement added.

Also, a tripartite meeting between management, FWSC, and the union is to be convened once the commitment letter is obtained from the Ministry of Finance.

According to the statement, "this meeting will provide clarity on next steps and serve as a platform for transparent dialogue."