Address inequalities in the pay system across public service – TUC Secretary-General to Akufo-Addo
Dr Anthony Yaw Baah, the General Secretary of the Ghana Trades Union Congress (TUC), has expressed worry over the continuous pay inequalities across the public service since the introduction of the Single Spine Pay Policy (SSPP).
He noted that junior workers in some enterprises earn more than senior workers in other institutions, adding that some struggling state enterprises pay their chief executive officers (CEOs) more than the President of Ghana.
Dr Yaw Baah speaking at the opening of the 2022 National Labour Conference on Monday, February 28, 2022 in Kwahu, Eastern Region explained that “the Single Spine Pay Policy was introduced in 2010 to deal with inequalities in public sector pay but after over a decade of implementation of the Single Spine Pay Policy, we are witnessing growing pay policy inequality across the public service.
“Some junior officers in some public service institutions are earning much higher salaries than some senior officers in other institutions in the public service.
“In the wider public sector, in fact, some CEOs of some state enterprises are earning much higher salaries than the President of the Republic even though some of these state enterprises are making huge losses.”
As such Dr Yaw Baah called for a change in the situation by making the reward system fair for all.
Meanwhile, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who was the Special Guest at the ceremony assured the TUC that changes will be effected, particularly to the Labour Act to protect all categories of workers.
“Let me respond to the Secretary-General of the Trades Union Congress by saying that, I recognize the urgency of concluding the review of the Labour Act, and erecting a legal framework that will protect all categories of workers and enable government’s programmes to have a positive impact on the condition of life of the working people of our country.
“One such, potentially the most exciting, is the GH¢10 billion YouStart Programme which is intended to help address youth unemployment in the country. Government has directed financial and technical support towards young entrepreneurs in the country to develop commercially viable businesses and create jobs for other youth”, he assured.
