Ghana minimum wage increased by 16.7%

The National Tripartite Committee (NTC) on Tuesday reached an agreement on the increase of 2015 Daily Minimum Wage by 16.7 per cent.

Implementation of the increment, which is equivalent to an increase from six cedis to seven cedis takes effect from January 1, 2015.

However, a reflection of such payment would take effect from February 2015.

The agreement signed by Mr Haruna Iddrisu, Minister of Employment and Labour Relations on behalf of Government, Mr Alex Frimpong, Ghana Employers Association, and Mr Kofi Asamoah, Secretary General, Trades Union Congress for Organised Labour recommended that the minimum wage should be exempted from tax.

However the Public Services Joint Standing Negotiating Committee (PSJSNC) comprising Government, represented by the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC), Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations, Ministry of Finance and Organised Labour, Associations and Institutions reached an agreement that the current basic single spine salary structure be increased by 13 per cent.

According to PSJSNC, the increment should be put into effect across board for 2015 at the current pay point relativity of 1.7 per cent. Similarly the effective date for the implementation of the increment was January 1, 2015.

The agreement was signed by Mr George Smith-Graham, Chief Executive, FWSC on behalf of Government and by Mr Asamoah, on behalf of Organised Labour, Associations and Institutions.

Source: GNA