Kwahu-Nkwatia, Feb 28, GNA – Dr Yaw Baah, Secretary-General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) Ghana, has urged the government to the resolve salary discrepancies in the public sector for industrial peace and harmony to prevail.
He said workers were unhappy about the sector’s growing wage inequalities, which had defeated the objectives of the Single Spine Pay Policy, introduced about a decade ago to cure such challenges.
“We are witnessing growing pay inequality across the public service, where some junior officers in some public service institutions are earning much higher salaries than some senior officers in other public service institutions,” he said.
Again, Dr Baah pointed out that in the broader public sector, some Chief Executive Officers of state-owned enterprises were paid far more than the President, when those organisations were making low profit or losses.
Dr Baah was speaking at the start of a two-day National Labour Conference, organised by the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations with its National Tripartite Constituents, in Kwahu-Nkwatia in the Eastern Region.
He stated that in 2021, when public sector workers received four percent and seven base pay increases for 2021 and 2022, respectively, “management and staff of some public institutions awarded themselves over 20% increase, in addition to numerous allowances and pecks they enjoy.”
“This cannot be encouraged,” he emphasised.
The conference, which is on the theme, “Strengthening Tripartism for Peaceful Labour Relations and Resilient Economy”, is expected to end with the adoption of a road map and a communique that would inform and shape Government’s approach for the resolution of labour issues for national development.
A technical presentation will be made by the Minister for Finance, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta on the “The State of the Economy”, for discussions to proceed on the concerns of workers and employers in the public sector in relation to economic realities.
Participants will, subsequently, agree on ways to collaborate on measures to address the concerns.
Issues that will dominate the discussions include the State of the Economy, Conditions of Service of Public Sector Workers, Public Sector Salaries, Labour Productivity, Labour Dispute Prevention and Resolution, and Sustainable Pensions for all.
The conference is taking place at a time when teachers at public universities currently are protesting poor working conditions.
The National Labour Commission recorded more than 6,000 cases from 2011 to 2020, out of which 50 percent were resolved.
Dr Baah said: “We must work together to change this situation. It is organised labour’s expectations that social partners at this conference will agree on the road map for dealing with these issues.”
“That is the only way we can ensure a peaceful labour relations environment to rebuild our economy, create decent jobs and improve the living standards of the good people of Ghana.”
The Single Spine Pay Policy (SSPP) was implemented in 2010 to regulate the payment of public service workers, especially those under Article 190 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, to address the issue of inequality in public sector pay.
Mr Daniel Acheampong, President of the Ghana Employers Association, also stated that the main reasons for the rise in public sector strikes were inadequate wages, lack of dialogue on working conditions and lack of adherence to dispute regulations.
He urged the resolution of critical concerns, such as the high cost of capital in order to promote private sector development and propel sustainable economic growth.
Mr Acheampong, however, commended the government for its stakeholder approach in handling the economic disruption by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Minister of Employment and Labour, Mr Ignatius Baffour Awuah, stated that the National Labour Act was being reviewed to meet modern day demands.
This includes issues of the future work regarding the impact of climate change and artificial intelligence.
He said the final draft would soon be released to the tripartite Constituents for their input.
The Single Spine Pay Policy would also be reviewed in line with its establishment recommendations.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo opened the conference, chaired by the Kwahuhene, Daasebre Akuamoah Agyapong II.
GNA