Accra, Oct. 12, GNA - The Government has decided to implement a new policy, which would determine the framework within which public sector salaries, wages, negotiations, grading and pay administration would be administered.

The new Comprehensive Pay Structure, based on the Public Sector Reform Programme, is to ensure that discipline prevails in the way workers agitate for salary increases and for all categories of workers to receive fair reward for their labour.

Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, Minister of Public Sector Reforms, made this known on Thursday at a press conference to announce efforts the Government was making towards reforming the pay structure of workers in view of the agitation across board for salary increases.

A significant aspect of the conference was the presence of President John Agyekum Kufuor, who came to show the importance he attaches to wages of workers and to add his voice to the pleas of the public to the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) to go back to the classroom.

Dr Nduom said to collectively act with discipline, Government would abide by the Labour Laws in the country and adhere strictly to the processes required to ensure the integrity of wages and salary administration.

"This cannot be done by (bowing) to those who shout the loudest or threaten productivity, and our collective well-being without a just cause."

He said 53.1 per cent of the total Government revenue was used to pay wages, salaries and other related matters for the public sector, 30 per cent assigned to the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) and Road Fund among other funds while only 17 per cent went into development projects.

Dr Ndoum said the Government could only get the extra funds to pay the wage increases that workers were agitating for through hard work and the assurance that workers got paid through equal work.

He said there would be an Independent Fair Wages and Income Commission to administer the new Comprehensive Pay structure, maintain its integrity and ensure equity throughout the years and that any grievance from workers would be channelled through the Commission.

He said as part of the Public Sector Reform Programme senior members of Government had consulted with the Trades Union Congress (TUC); Ghana Employers Association (GEA); Ghana Police Service; Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT); Teachers and Education Workers Union and many others to determine a concrete way of implementing the new pay.

Dr Nduom said the central theme of the public sector incomes policy agreed upon would be equal pay for work of equal worth and that the Government would ensure that public sector employees were equitably compensated in relationship with each other, based on their performance. He said the policy would eliminate assortment of non-cash monetary benefits and allowances in a sustainable manner through progressive monetization of non-cash benefits.

He said work was going on seriously to determine solutions in Pay Administration, regrouping jobs, comparative analysis of job content, review of market salary information and development of pay structure and information.

Dr Nduom said the final result of this work would be the new Comprehensive Pay Structure and systems that would establish a framework for rational discussion for wages and salaries in the future beginning 2007.

He urged the NAGRAT members on strike to work together with GNAT, the body that had the negotiating certificate, to come out with recommendations for the adjustment in wages and salaries to be programmed into the 2007 Budget that would be read on November 9. Mr Kwadwo Baah Wiredu, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning said Teachers from the Ghana Education Service alone were demanding 31.1 trillion cedis for 2007 while the whole national budget was 31.5 trillion cedis adding that the ability to generate revenue would help the Government to pay more.

He said the Government had done considerably well for teachers and that a Certificate 91A' holder in the year 2000 took an annual salary of 3,173,496 compared to 17,048,227 he took in 2006, a cumulative total increase of 437.21 per cent.

Papa Owusu Ankomah, Minister of Education, Science and Sports appealed to the Teachers to go back and teach while they negotiated through the appropriate means for their grievances to be resolved.