Labour union calls for proper functioning of public service

Sunyani, Aug. 10, GNA – The Public Services Workers Union of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) has called for the proper functioning of the public services to enable the country to achieve meaningful and sustainable socio-economic development.

Mr. Richard Amparbeng, Deputy General Secretary of Union, said this when addressing the Brong-Ahafo Regional Delegates Conference in Sunyani.

He said the hierarchy of the Union would embark on trade union education to sharpen members’ skills and knowledge to enable them to perform efficiently.

“Our negotiations will be interest-based approach, where focus will be on members’ needs and we will strive for mutual gain rather than sub-optimal. We will do well to stabilize the industrial atmosphere by maintaining industrial peace in the Public Sector”, he said.

Mr. Amparbeng said as at the end of June, 42 organisations had been migrated onto the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS) and commended the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission for the good work done so far in the implementation of the Scheme.

He said out of about 463,741 public sector employees qualified to be placed on the structure, 315,344 of them had been migrated, representing 68 percent.

“We will make sure all anomalies that had arisen out of the migration are rectified by September and we expect total payment of accrued arrears in the same month”, Mr Amparbeng said.

He said the migration process being undertaken by the Public Sector Standing Joint Negotiating Committee had rather been “too slow and very frustrating” and asked the Committee to come out with an acceptable Base Pay and Relativity Ratio to speed up the process.

Mr. Amparbeng suggested to the government and organised labour to consider making the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission an independent body to enable it to deal with issues and complaints expeditiously.