TUC to address low wages in public sector

Wa, Nov. 10, GNA - The Ghana Trades Union Congress would soon embark on a campaign to address the issue of low wages within the public sector, Dr Anthony Yaw Baah, Deputy Secretary-General of the Congress told workers in Wa at the weekend. He said it had come to the notice of the TUC that some public sector institutions especially District Assemblies were paying workers particularly conservancy labourers, salaries that were as low as ten to twenty Ghana cedis per month.

Dr Baah was addressing the annual general meeting of the Upper West Regional Council of Labour in Wa during his maiden working visit to the region since his election to the post in August this year. He announced that the TUC had undertaken a survey in some of the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies and the report had been analysed, compiled and submitted to its Union for action. The meeting discussed the new public sector pay reforms, the new pension scheme and the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) that have been proposed by the European Union. Dr Baah explained that the new pay reforms would not kill future negotiations but rather an opportunity would be created for unions to collectively negotiate for salary increases with the Fair Wages Commission.

He said all public sector workers would fall within a 25 single-spine grading structure under the new pay reforms, which he hoped, would be implemented next year by the government. On the forthcoming elections, he urged workers to examine the various candidates properly and vote for the candidate that had their interest at heart and could change their circumstances if they had power.

"Some of these presidential candidates do not know anything about organized labour and yet they want our votes. Examine them critically before giving them your votes," he said. Mr Seth Ablosoo, Acting Head of Organization of the TUC appealed to government not sign the EPA because the agreements would only serve the economic interest of EU and stifle development programmes in Africa. He explained how the new pension scheme would operate to the participants and announced that the New Pension Implementation Committee would soon begin a nationwide tour to educate workers on the new scheme. Mr Adams Sandu, Upper West Regional Secretary of the TUC appealed to workers to participate in Union activities adding that the regional branch was sourcing funds from BUSAC and other organisations to organise seminars and advocacy programmes for them.