ICU, GAWU Back Cocoa Reforms, Reject COCOBOD Salary Cuts
Labour unions in Ghana’s cocoa sector have welcomed the government’s latest reform measures but strongly opposed plans to reduce the salaries of senior staff at the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), describing the move as unlawful and demoralising.
In a joint statement dated February 17, 2026, the Industrial and Commercial Workers’ Union (ICU-Ghana) and the General Agricultural Workers’ Union (GAWU) said they support the broader efforts to revive the cocoa sector but are demanding an immediate reversal of the proposed pay cuts.
“The decision to reduce the salaries of senior and management staff is totally unacceptable,” the unions stated, insisting that the move was taken without adherence to labour laws and existing collective bargaining agreements.
The unions were responding to government announcements made on February 12 outlining a series of reforms aimed at restructuring COCOBOD’s operations and stabilising the wider cocoa industry.
They described the measures as “laudable and economically prudent,” particularly a new financing model that will allow COCOBOD to allocate up to 50 per cent of cocoa output to local processors, including the Produce Buying Company(PBC). According to the unions, the policy will boost local processing, create jobs for the youth and reduce Ghana’s reliance on raw cocoa exports.
They also welcomed the decision to transfer COCOBOD’s legacy debts to the Ministry of Finance and the Bank of Ghana, as well as plans to automatically adjust producer prices in line with global market trends and exchange rates.
“These interventions will give COCOBOD and PBC a new lease of life,” the statement said.
However, the unions criticised management’s decision to cut salaries of some senior and management staff by between 10 and 20 per cent. They argued that some affected employees are unionised and that the reductions were implemented without proper consultation, in breach of labour regulations.
The statement, signed by Morgan Ayawine of ICU-Ghana and Andrews Addoquaye Tagoe of GAWU, also called for stronger institutional safeguards to shield COCOBOD from political interference.
“There is a need to create structures and systems that will insulate COCOBOD from external pressures and partisan politics,” the unions noted.
Cocoa remains one of Ghana’s largest foreign exchange earners, and stakeholders have warned that prolonged instability within the sector could have broader economic consequences.
