Accra, May 28, GNA - Vice President John Mahama on Thursday 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 would 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". "This is a statement of fact and my presence here is to allay your fears and remove any cloud of doubt from the minds of public sector employees and their leadership about government's commitment towards ensuring the implementation of the single spine pay policy," he added. 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, would 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 standardization of allowances and other conditions of service.

Vice President said such a deliberative approach would ensure that the implementation of the policy did 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 did 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. He pleaded with the stakeholders to ensure their commitment to the policy to avoid industrial disharmony.

Mr Stephen Amoanor Kwao, Minister of Employment and Social Welfare, thanked organized labour for the patient they continued to show with regard to the delay in implementing the policy. He said despite some difficulties, government had nonetheless, demonstrated "serious commitment" to implementing the much awaited policy. Mr Kwao was hopeful that positive outcomes would be reached at the workshop to pave way for fruitful implementation of the policy as a means of improving standards of living. Mr Kofi Asamoah, the Secretary General of the Ghana Trades Union Congress, was unhappy with the distortions in the public wage structure, which, he said, made a significant number of such workers to be earning salaries even below the national minimum wage. "Some public sector workers are even living below the poverty line. This is unacceptable," he pointed out. He entreated the government to ensure a speedy implementation of the policy in view of deteriorating economic indicators, which had worsened the conditions of workers. 28 May 09