By Benjamin Akoto, GNA
Sunyani, (Bono), Nov. 12, GNA-Some public sector workers in Sunyani, the Bono Regional capital say they anticipate the 2027 Budget Statement highlights progress made so far on the of the Independent Emoluments Commission (IEC).
As Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, the Minister of Finance is expected to present the 2027 Budget Statement and Economic Policy to Parliament today, the workers believed the IEC could address salary disparities in the public sector.
Sharing their expectations on the budget in an interview with the Ghana News, the workers expressed concern about the growing incidence of industrial actions in the labour front, describing the establishment of the IEC as long overdue.
Mr Nathaniel Mensah, a public sector worker, stressed the need for the nation to harmonise public sector salaries and to address the recurring industrial disputes, as well as improving workers’ confidence in the government.
He noted that labour unions would continue to resort to strikes, if their concerns remained unresolved, saying that workers increasingly felt industrial action was the surest way the government could address their concerns.
Madam Stella Ankrah, a retiree, also noted that establishing the IEC would address inequalities in salaries and retirement benefits, noting that many workers retired into financial difficulties.
She said retirement ought to be a period for workers to rest and enjoy the benefits of active service and not to struggle to meet their basic needs.
Another worker, Mad Felicia Agbo, noted that the Single Spine Salary Structure had outlived its usefulness and therefore required an urgent review and address the existing salary disparities in the public sector.
She called on the government to be expeditious in setting up the IEC to address the growing concerns of public sector workers.
Mr Ntim Nyarko, also a worker, expressed disappointment over the government’s failure to fulfil its commitment to institutionalize the IEC, saying that its establishment ought to be prioritised in the collective interest of workers.
Some of the workers said a clear commitment to establishing the IEC in the 2027 Budget Statement would demonstrate the government’s dedication to improving the condition of service of employees.
According to them, failure to provide a clear roadmap for the IEC establishment could further erode workers’ confidence in the government.
GNA
Edited by Dennis Peprah /Kenneth Odeng Adade