Workers asked to address challenges in the public sector

Mr Richard Amparbeng, Deputy General Secretary of the Ghana Trades Union Congress (GTUC), on Tuesday called on workers to unite and address challenges confronting the country’s public sector.

He, however, said cuts in public expenditure by government could impact negatively on public sector employment.

Mr Amparbeng, who made the call at the Western Regional Quadrennial Delegates Conference of the Public Services Workers Union (PSWU) at Takoradi, said: “Trade Unionism is facing challenges occasioned by globalization”.

He commended the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission for the good work it was doing in the implementation of the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS).

Mr Amparbeng said as at the end of June 2011, 42 organizations have been migrated into the SSSS and that out of about 463,741 public sector employees, who qualify to be placed on the structure, 315,344 have been migrated.

He said “This constitutes 68 per cent, which is not a mean achievement given the constraints facing the commission”.

Mr. Amparbeng said out of the 42 organizations which have been migrated to the SSSS, 17 are affiliates of the PSWU.

He said it would, however, be in national interest to make the Commission an independent body to enable it to work without ministerial direction.

Mr. Amparbeng said most of the problems and agitations against the implementation of the SSSS could be traced to the low base pay and relativity ratio.

He urged the Public Sector Standing Joint Negotiating Committee to expedite action on this year’s base pay and relativity ratio adding, “The process had rather been too slow and very frustrating”.

Mr Amparbeng said that the Union would ensure that all affiliate organizations are migrated to the SSSS by August this year.

“We would make sure all anomalies that arise out of the migration are rectified by September and in that same month ensure total payment of salary arrears from January 2010 to date”.

Source: GNA