Ghana Trades Union Congress demands payment of 20% salary increase

The Ghana Trades Union Congress (TUC) has called on the government to implement the 20-per cent across-the­-board salary increase in the public sec­tor without further delay.

It also called on the Minister of Employment and Social Welfare in his capacity as the Chairman of the National Tripartite Committee to revive the negoti­ations towards the implementation of the living wage in Ghana.

This, it said, would be the surest way to end the high incidence of poverty among workers to reduce the frequency of indus­trial unrest in both the private and public sectors.

This was contained in a press release issued by the TUC after the 60th meeting of its Steering Committee comprising all the eight affiliate unions held on October 26, 2011.

According to the release, the meeting deliberated on the current developments in the country and their effects on workers and their families.

It said the situation was made even worse for public sector workers who had not yet seen any increase in their salaries because the implementation of the 20-per cent across-the-board increase in public sector pay had been tied to the phased migration of workers onto the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS).

The release said the slow pace of the migration process had, therefore, denied many public sector workers what was due them and this was unacceptable.

It said the Steering Committee also deliberated on the high rate of joblessness, particularly among the youth and gradu­ates, and indicated that the large scale job­lessness in the country constituted a threat to democracy and national security.

It said the managers of the economy seemed to be fascinated with the so-called microeconomic stability, particularly the achievement of single digit inflation, adding that “the reality is that the cost of living is already so high that workers do’ not feel the effects of the declining rate of inflation.”

“We believe that the high rate of job­lessness among the youth can be partly attributed to the policy of net employment freeze in the public sector. We call on the government to end the policy and to create jobs for young people in priority sectors, including education, health, infrastructure, water, sanitation and national security since these sectors offered limited incen­tives for full private sector participation,” the release said.

It said there was the need to review the approach to the development of the private sector, which is recognised as the engine of growth and eventual provider of decent jobs.

The release also noted the poor state of infrastructure in the country and the impli­cation for private sector development and job creation and pledged the TUC’s com­mitment to the economic and social devel­opment of the country.

Source: Daily Graphic