Accra, Sept. 15, GNA - The Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) on Wednesday assured security personnel that no officer would be worse off under the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS). Speaking at a press conference in Accra to address issues raised by demonstrating Prison Service personnel at Kumasi on Wednesday, Mr. Smith Graham, CEO of the Fair Wages Commission, said: "there is no cause for alarm, no cause for any demonstration".

He described the action as a surprising development as the process for progression unto the SSSS was explained to the officials. Mr. Graham said the Prison Service delivered their job mapping scheme to the Commission late in August. "Under normal circumstances, the implementation of SSSS for Prison Service for August should have been postponed to September but we were able to persuade the Accountant General's Department to make room for Prisons."

Mr. Graham debunked the allegation that officials of the service were worse off under the structure as compared to their counterparts in Police Service.

He said under SSSS, people were paid based on the work they did pointing out that "SSSS is based on knowledge and skills required for performance of job; responsibility of people; working environment - hazards involved and efforts - physical and mental dynamics". Mr. Graham said based on these criteria the Police Service was slightly ahead of the other security establishments - Ghana Prisons Service, Ghana National Fire Service and Ghana Immigration Service. He said the Commission had not introduced any new allowances into the system but was rather working on harmonisation and standardization of over 64 allowances regime in the Civil and Public Services. Mr. Graham said Responsibility and Professional Allowances had been consolidated whilst other allowances had not been touched at all. There was therefore the need to exercise restraint for the complexion of the standardization process after which all allowances would be harmonized.

Mr. Graham explained that in the past, public and civil services used their high allowances to compensate for their low remuneration. "SSSS has come to consolidate all, if the allowance regime is allowed it would create additional disparities in the scheme." He noted, however, that after the standardization and the harmonization all other sectors would receive allowances. "We are not introducing any new allowances until we complete the exercise."

He said officers of the Prison Service had been part of the whole salary negotiation including participating in the regional consultation and stakeholder seminars and workshops.

Mr. Graham appealed to workers who noticed any disparity in the scheme to contact the Commission instead of resorting to demonstrations. The Deputy Minister of Information, Mr. James Agyenim-Boateng, who chaired the press conference, said the Ministry of the Interior, National Security and Prison Service Council would investigate the demonstration.