Organised labour discusses wages @ pre-May Day forum

By Konrad Kodjo Djaisi

Dr. Kwabena Nyarko Otoo, deputy Secretary-General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), has observed that the labour market is marked by low pay and incomes in Ghana.

Elucidating further, he observed that the daily minimum wage of GH?19.97 translates to      US$1.28 for eight hours work and this is below the international poverty line of a little over US$2 – while in the United Kingdom they pay £8 for an hour’s work and for the United States it’s around US$15 an hour.

Furthermore, salaries are characterised by large inequities. Consequently, organised labour is calling for a review of the Single Spine Pay policy to enhance pay and achieve equity.

This was made known at a pre-May Day forum held at GNAT Hall in Accra last week for organised labour, with the theme ‘Resetting Pay and Working Conditions in Ghana: The Role of Stakeholders’.

Under the single spine pay policy, the country’s topmost civil servant is paid around US$860 a month, just under US$1,000 and Dr. Nyarko Otoo rhetorically asked whether under the present circumstances, if given the opportunity to travel abroad for better conditions of service, he/she wouldn’t take up the offer.

For his part, Chief Executive Officer-Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) George Smith-Graham mounted the podium and said implementation of the Single Spine Pay Policy was to be accompanied by the public sector reform – but after the implementation everybody went to sleep and he is not surprised that there are now calls for a reset of pay and working conditions.

“Therefore, linking pay to productivity has eluded us.” The FWSC CEO said there is need for a reset to ensure equity and attract the best talents into public service. The reset is needed to reduce industrial unrest and align pay with performance and productivity.

To this end, he was pleased to announce that President Mahama has called for the establishment of an Independent Emolument Commission. This means the enactment of a new law, which will be done after the Constitutional Review Committee finishes its work.

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