Government committed to new salary policy, Gamey

Asamankese (Eastern Region), 12th May ?99 --

The Government is firmly committed to implementing a new policy on workers wages and salaries based on the Price Waterhouse report in June this year.

Mr Austin Gamey, deputy minister for Employment and Social Welfare, who announced this, at a forum at Asamankese on Monday said the Price Waterhouse report, will ensure a long-term wages and salaries policy, which would motivate workers.

The Deputy Minister said the policy would remove salary disparities between public and private sector workers on one hand and those within the civil and public service sectors on the other.

He said under Price Waterhouse report, promotions would be based on the performance of workers to be assessed by both management and workers' representatives.

" The Price Waterhouse report may not be perfect but it is being introduced in the hope that in the course of its implementation, changes can be made when necessary," the minister said.

Mr Gamey said Ghana is a signatory to the International Labour Organisation Convention, which enjoins member countries to allow freedom of association and collective bargaining.

Mr Smart Chigabatia, Executive Secretary of the Civil Servants Association advised workers against staging demonstrations to back their demands for improved conditions of service.

He said they should instead use dialogue, which is more effective, adding, " they should not always ask for increases in salaries without increased output because that hurts the national economy".

Mr Chigabatia called for effective worker-management co-operation to enhance increased productivity.