Polytechnic Administrators: Implement Single Spine and market premium

Mr Gabriel Okronipa, President of the Ghana Association of Polytechnic Administrators (GAPA), Takoradi Branch, on Friday called on the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission to, as a matter of urgency, implement the agreement in their communiqué with regard to salaries.

Per the agreements, Senior Members-Academic and Senior Members Non-Academic of public universities were to be equal to public polytechnics and that the same market premium should be paid to them.

Mr Okronipa in a statement to the Ghana News Agency indicated that several meetings with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission on the implementation of the signed communiqué, which was a roadmap for the payment of the Single Spine Salaries Structure arrears and market premium to GAPA members in August 2012, were yet to be implemented and described the delay as unnecessary.

The statement said the GAPA was not happy at the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission’s refusal to fully implement the agreement it entered into with GAPA on market premium on Single Spine Pay Policy adding, “.GAPA would be compelled to employ every legitimate means to ensure its implementation.”

It said Senior Members in Administration in the University (GAUA) having won their bid to be at par with Senior Members-Teaching (UTAG) at a premium of 1.14%, there was reason for Fair Wages and Salaries Commission to bring Senior Members in Administration in the Polytechnics to the level of 0.96 as given to Senior Members-Teaching (POTAG) as premium.

This parity that existed in the public polytechnics and the universities before the migration onto the Single Spine Salaries Structure still exist in the universities. However, the condition is not the same in the public polytechnics today, hence, our displeasure at the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission’s ploy to perpetuate this disparity between Senior Members (Non-Teaching) and Senior Members (Teaching) in the polytechnics.

“We will like to put it on record that, so far as we are concerned, there is no doubt that administrators are the hub around which activities in every educational institution revolves, it is therefore prudent that we are given our due”, the statement added.