Parties meet over minimum wage and base pay
Public sector workers are seeking to bridge the gap between the National Daily Minimum Wage (NDMW) and the base pay on the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS).
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The base pay is the lowest level salary paid to public sector workers on the SSSS and the 2016 base pay is GH¢7.45.
On Tuesday, July 11, 2017, the National Tripartite Committee (NTC) concluded negotiations for the 2018 NDMW and announced a 10 per cent increase to make it GH¢9.68.
At the second meeting of the Public Services Joint Standing Negotiating Committee (PSJSNC) in Accra yesterday that was held in camera, representatives of public sector workers, led by the Secretary General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Dr Yaw Baah, sought to get their employers, the government, to give them a 20 per cent increment over the 2016 base pay on the SSSS.
Labour
The Daily Graphic gathered that their proposal is based on the fact that the base pay on the SSSS is lower than the NDMW, although no public-sector worker is currently at the level of the base pay.
Of the 25 levels of the SSSS, no worker is at level one or two, with level three being the starting point for workers.
Currently, the gap between the NDMW and the base pay of the SSSS is 29 per cent.
Government
The government’s proposal was for an increase of about 2.5 per cent.
Information gathered was that the government’s proposal was hinged on its desire to keep a cap on inflationary trends.
Meeting
The second meeting provided the partners the opportunity to table their proposals and start deliberations on them which would lead to the conclusion of a base pay and relativity for the structure for the year 2018.
Chaired by the Chief Executive of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC), Mr George Smith-Graham, who negotiates on behalf of the government, the meeting ended for parties to study further each other’s proposals.
Background
The PSJSNC is made up of the FWSC and a representative each of all the more than 31 labour unions and associations in Ghana.
By a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the social partners, that is employers, the government and labour unions, on February 5, 2010 on meetings of the PSJSNC, the FWSC represents the government, convenes and chairs all meetings.
The parties have between July and August of every year to negotiate and conclude on the base pay and relativities within the levels.
Proposals on which wage should pertain as the minimum on SSSS is exchanged between the unions led by the TUC and the government represented by the FWSC.