BY Nadia Ntiamoah
Tensions are escalating within Ghana’s cocoa sector as workers of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) openly reject salary cuts imposed on management and senior staff, triggering strong resistance from labour unions, parliamentary figures, and sector stakeholders who describe the move as unlawful, unjustified, and economically counterproductive.
The crisis follows 16 February 2026 decision by COCOBOD’s management, led by Chief Executive Officer Randy Abbey, to implement immediate salary reductions of 20 percent for executive management and 10 percent for senior staff for the remainder of the 2025/2026 cocoa season.
The Management justified the move on the grounds of severe liquidity constraints, rising operational costs, and declining revenues within the cocoa industry.
Unacceptable And Unlawful Action
The decision has been fiercely opposed by the Industrial and Commercial Workers’ Union (ICU-Ghana) and the General Agricultural Workers’ Union (GAWU), both affiliates of the Trades Union Congress (TUC).
In a joint statement dated February 17, 2026, the unions described the salary cuts as “unacceptable”, “unprocedural”, and in violation of labour laws and collective bargaining agreements.
According to the unions, COCOBOD management implemented the decision without consultation, despite the fact that some affected staff are unionised workers, making engagement and negotiation a legal requirement.
The unions warned that such unilateral actions undermine trust, morale, and productivity within one of the most strategic public institutions.
While rejecting the pay cuts, ICU-Ghana and GAWU expressed support for broader structural reforms announced by Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson, aimed at restructuring COCOBOD’s operations and stabilising the cocoa economy.
These reforms include a new financing model that allocates 50 percent of Ghana’s cocoa output to local processors, including the Cocoa Processing Company and other domestic firms, to promote value addition, job creation, youth employment, and export diversification.
The unions described these reforms as “timely and economically sound”, particularly in light of the deep financial and operational challenges facing COCOBOD and the Produce Buying Company (PBC).
However, they insisted that cost-cutting must not come at the expense of workers’ rights, warning that financial reforms cannot be built on labour injustice.
Parliamentary Backlash
The pay cuts have also triggered strong political opposition.
The Ranking Member of Parliament’s Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs Committee, Isaac Yaw Opoku, described the decision as “unfair and misguided”, arguing that workers were being punished for management failures.
Speaking on The Pulse on JoyNews, the MP said COCOBOD should focus on financial discipline and waste reduction, rather than wage cuts.
He cited “unnecessary renovations and excessive operational spending” as areas where savings could be generated to fund cocoa purchases and farmer payments.
He further criticised the emerging practice of linking staff salaries to international cocoa price fluctuations, warning that it creates an unstable work environment that discourages professionalism and long-term institutional commitment.
Wider Sector Crisis Context
The salary dispute is unfolding against a backdrop of deep structural strain in the cocoa sector, including: Liquidity shortages at COCOBOD, Delayed payments to cocoa farmers, Farmer protests over price cuts, Rising operational costs, and Global cocoa market volatility.
Public Pressure For Sector-wide Reforms
Historically, COCOBOD has served as a stabilising institution, insulating both farmers and workers from market shocks.
Labour leaders now argue that the current approach represents a dangerous shift away from that stabilisation model toward crisis-driven austerity that weakens institutional confidence.
Workers Warn of Institutional Breakdown
Union leaders warn that demoralising staff through wage cuts risks institutional collapse, reduced efficiency, and declining oversight capacity in a sector that regulates billions of cedis in national revenue and supports millions of livelihoods.
Call for Dialogue
The Union is demanding: Immediate reversal of the salary cuts, Restoration of negotiated labour processes, Formal engagement with unions, Transparent financial disclosures
Shared reform planning and they insist that financial restructuring must be achieved through dialogue, transparency, and fairness, not unilateral decisions.
