Government Will Implement Single Spine Pay Policy- Veep

Vice President John Mahama yesterday assured labour unions, some of whom are showing increasing agitation over the delay in implementing the single spine pay policy that Government remains firmly committed to putting the policy into action.

Addressing workers unions and employers at a consultative workshop on the policy in Accra, Vice President Mahama re-echoed the willingness of Government to fully implement the policy aimed at removing distortions in public sector wages, to reflect constitutional requirements of equity and equal pay for work of equal worth.

He said government will work assiduously towards "streaming public sector wages with the view to boosting productivity and towards paying decent wages to the working people" with the ultimate goal of making the public sector more "productive, effective and efficient".

The two-day meeting is expected to smoothen grey areas which are believed to have stalled the implementation of the policy, billed by the largest bloc of workers union, the Ghana Trades Union Congress as critical in giving public sector workers a decent wage.

Such a move, will pave way for the designing of a 'road map' to guide the implementation of the policy.

Vice President Mahama charged the participants to help address major areas of contention and arrive at a consensus on the determination of the base pay and the standardisation of allowances and other conditions of service.

Vice President said such a deliberative approach will ensure that the implementation of the policy does not run into difficulties experienced by the first NDC government when it first introduced the Value Added Tax in the country.

The Vice President particularly charged the participants not to take decisions that might negatively affect the economy by calling for a sustainable wage policy that does not derail Government development programmes while at the same time ensuring decent pay for workers.

"If we take the right decision, guided by the greater national interest and devoid of our individual or institutional interest, Ghana will be the winner," the Vice President noted.

Mr Stephen Amoanor Kwao, Minister for Employment and Social Welfare, thanked organised labour for the patience they continue to show with regards to the delay in implementing the policy.

Mr Kwao was hopeful that positive outcomes will be reached at the workshop to pave way for fruitful implementation of the policy as a means of improving standards of living.

Source: GNA