The nation’s public servants may heave a sigh of relieve from the latest development from Ghana government's increase in their basic salaries effective from next year.
This follows a press release jointly signed by the Chief Executive of Ghana’s Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) – George Smith Graham and Secretary General of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) on behalf of the nation’s organized labour earlier.
According to the disclosure, Ghana’s Public Services Joint Standing Negotiating Committee has raised the basic salaries (as stipulated in the Single Spine Salary Structure/SSS) across all levels and facets of the country’s public service sector by 11% beginning from January 1, 2018.
In addition, both categories two and three allowances (earlier approved by the Ministry of Finance) for the public servants will be effectively implemented alongside.
The Joint Standing Negotiating Committee has the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC), the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations and the Ministry of Finance as representatives of government and the TUC as well as other institutions representing organized labour and other stakeholders in the Public Service sector.
Earlier last week, the Ghanaian labour force in general also witnessed an increase in the country’s minimum wage by about 10% which is also expected to take effect by January next year.
The minimum wage raise is largely credited to intense pressure from the labour unions which resulted in a series of meetings between the organized labour, employers association and the government of Ghana.
A directive mandated “any establishment, institution or organization whose Daily Minimum Wage is below the new National Daily Minimum wage [to] adjust its wages upward with effect from 1st January, 2018,â€Â
Previously GH¢8.80, the new minimum wage for 2018 will be GH¢9.68.
However, while some quarters have praised the announcement of the increases in minimum wage and basic salaries alike, many across the nation – particularly laborers in the informal sectors of the economy have pointed out that such changes are hardly complied with by ‘on the spot employers’ - who engage their daily services and have the choice of choosing from a large pool.Â