Organised Labour has proposed a 60 percent increment in base pay for the year 2023 as they begin negotiations with the government.
In a letter signed by TUC General Secretary, Dr. Yaw Baah and Isaac Bampoe Addo, Chairman of the forum of Public Sector Workers, Organised Labour cited the rising inflation and the 15% Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) granted on the National Daily Minimum Wage as grounds for their proposal.
“Due to the inflationary trends and the fact that 15% COLA has been granted on the National Daily Minimum Wage (NDMw). We humbly propose that a 60% increase on the 2022 Base Pay should be considered,” a portion of the letter read.
According to Organised Labour, a huge gap has been created between the National Daily Minimum Wage and the Base Pay as a result of accepting COLA instead of normal salary increase and granting increases in the National Daily Minimum Wage.
The group said currently, the 2022 daily Base Pay on the 2022 Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS) is 16.26% below the 2022 daily minimum wage.
“In order to close the gap and restore the 10% point with respect to the National Daily Minimum Wage (NDMW), the daily Base Pay for 2023 should be GH¢l4.88 plus 10% which is GH¢16.37,” Organised Labour said.
They, therefore, want the annual Base Pay on the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS) for 2023 to be increased to GH¢5,303.23 from the current GH¢3,672.84.
Organised Labour further contended that the government ought to have increased the annual increment of 1.7% on the Single Spine Salary Structure to 2% in 2012.
This, they said has not happened since 2012 and want the government to implement that next year.
For Casper Kampoli, a member of the NDC’s Upper East Regional Communication Team, the demand from Organised Labour is fair. He spoke on A1 Radio’s Day Break Upper East Show.
“Times are hard but Akufo Addo and Dr. Bawumia are not ready to cut down their opulent lifestyle; flying a jet, carrying a chair in a V8 and all of that. They need to cut down all of those things. Times are hard for the public, the ordinary Ghanaian not the government. Government is not cash strapped. Government is only cash strapped when it comes to pay salaries of government workers because the president himself travels in a private jet.”
“If you look at the salary structure of Article 71 office holders; the president, the ministers, the CEOs; the amount they take home, life is good for them. That is why the President says money doesn’t like noise so he and his people who are enjoying, they’re quiet. 60 percent base pay increment is fair,” he said.
Source: A1radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Ghana
