A lot of people in public sector organisations are not working – FWSC CEO

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC), Dr. George Smith-Graham has stated that many workers in the public sector are not being productive.

According to him, government is willing to pay living wages to its workers, but this must be complemented with commensurate productivity.

He noted that the required level of productivity will be attained only if the public sector is reformed.

“We need to reform the public sector, if not, it doesn’t matter how much money you pay people in the public service, the more you pay the salaries the more people take the salaries and will not work, it is not the general situation as i said, but a lot of the public sector organization people are just not working,” he said during a pre-May Day Forum with members of Organised Labour on April 24 in Accra.

He made the comment in reaction to a comment by the General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Mr Joshua Ansah.

Mr Ansah had said that the prevailing high cost of living is eroding the purchasing power of Ghanaian workers, hence the need for government to pay living wages to public and civil servants.

“Many workers struggle with wages that barely cover living expenses, long working hours, inadequate benefits, poor conditions further exacerbate the challenges faced by the labour force,” he lamented.

In response, Mr Smith-Graham noted that payment of living wage can only be implemented in the long term.

“As a country, for the long term we will target a living wage, but even in the developed world not all countries have been able to implement a living wage and so, implementation of a living wage is doable but let’s set a long term to plan towards it, but not now,” he stressed.

The Fair Wages and Salaries Commission CEO added that, “His Excellency the President is proposing the establishment of an independent emolument commission. When established, it will end political interference in salaries setting, and address issues relating to article 71 office holders.”

Read also: Organised Labour renews calls for living wage as May Day approaches

 

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