The Chief Executive Officer of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC), Dr George Smith-Graham, has said the consultations to get stakeholders' input into the establishment of the proposed Independent Public Emoluments Commission (IPEC) will continue until the final Bill that will be developed is passed into law.
He said the IPEC would provide a stronger national framework for determining, reviewing, certifying, monitoring and reporting uncovered public sector remuneration subject to the Constitution
He said with the commencement of IPEC, nobody could implement any salary structure in public sector organisations without first receiving certification from IPEC.
Consultations
"We would continue until everybody is happy with the level of consultations," Dr Smith-Graham said at the opening of a training programme to enhance the capacity of selected journalists to accurately report on the ongoing transition of the FWSC to the IPEC as well as developments within the public sector pay system.
The two-day event is on the theme: "Building Media Capacity for Accurate and Responsible Reporting on the FWSC-IPEC Transition and Public Sector Pay Reforms.
Knowledge
The programme is expected to equip participating journalists with the requisite knowledge and context to contribute to informed public discourse and ensure balanced, accurate and responsible reporting on issues relating to public sector compensation and the FWSC–IPEC transition.
Dr Smith-Graham said the public sector compensation affected the livelihood of parents and their families and that it also affected the government's ability to recruit and retain skilled people.
Again, he said, it affected the resources available for education, healthcare, infrastructure, and other public services.
"The public, therefore, deserves a clear explanation of this reform, why it is necessary, what IPEC is intended to do, and how the transition will proceed," he said and that the way the media explained that process would shape expectations among workers, institutions, and citizens.
"Appropriate reporting can deepen understanding," he said.
Fair Wages
The Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, Dr Smith-Graham said, was established under Act 737 of 2007 to support fair and transparent public service pay administration.
"Our responsibilities extended beyond negotiating annual salary increases.
They include job evaluation, grading, salary searches, research, advice on compensation, and the coordination of collective bargaining where government is a direct or indirect employer," he said.
The policy sought to address fragmented pay arrangements and promote greater fairness through the common basis for evaluating jobs and determining basic salaries.
"Those achievements remain valuable.”
"However, experience has shown that a common basic salary structure cannot by itself resolve every inequity in public sector compensation," he said.
A comparison based on the basic salary, he said, would suggest equity "but a comparison of their total package could reveal a substantial difference. We must then ask whether that difference is justified by responsibility, by risk, working conditions, or other limited factors".
Explanations
The proposed IPEC framework, he said, would seek to make those explanations more consistent, transparent and defensible.
Welcoming the participants, the Head of Public Affairs, FWSC, Emelia Ennin, underscored the importance of the training to equip journalists.
She said the transition to IPEC offered an opportunity to strengthen the foundation through clearer authority, consistent standards and better accountability.
"Success will depend on the quality of the law, the competence of the institution, the reliability of its evidence, and the confidence of those affected by its decisions," she said.
The objective of the training, Ms Ennin said, was to help media practitioners to understand the mandate of IPEC and why the transition was necessary;
Again, she said it was “to deepen your understanding of public sector pay negotiations and reforms in Ghana; and to build a stronger partnership where you have direct access to credible information and clarifications.”
“Over the next two days, you will hear from the Chief Executive on the overview of the FWSC–IPEC transition, from our Directors on wage negotiations, pay reforms, misconceptions, and linking pay to performance.
We have also brought in a seasoned Features Editor, Madam Caroline Boateng of the Daily Graphic, to share insights on the media’s role in labour reporting.”
