The Ghana Trades Union Congress (TUC) says it would advise itself if negotiations on the increment of the minimum wage is not concluded before May 1.

“We want all negotiations on the minimum wage and the base pay must finish before the May Day. We are sending a strong signal out there. We cannot afford this high cost of living with the current wages and salaries,” Mr. Kofi Asamoah, Secretary-General, yelled to the applause of workers in Tema.

The chief scribe of Ghana’s pre-eminent labour federation was speaking at a symposium organised by the Tema District Council of labour as part of activities marking May Day.

He accused the government of presenting strange figures on the wage bill to discourage the clamour for pay increase after causing the rise in the cost of virtually all goods and services in the country.

“We know that in 2009, before the implementation of the Single Spine Pay policy, government’s wage bill was 53.2 per cent of its total revenue. And now in 2014, after the single spine, it is 58.7 per cent." To end the debate about the impact of the wage bill on government’s revenue mobilisation and expenditure, let us disaggregate the figures on compensation including those of the Article 71 holders.”

The President, Vice President, Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Members of Council of State, Speaker and Deputy Speakers and Members of Parliament, the Chief Justice and other Justices of the Superior Court (High Court, Appeal and Supreme Court) and members of constitutional bodies have been labelled as Article 71 holders, because Article 71 of the 1992 Constitution states among others that their salaries and allowances payable and facilities and privileges shall be charged on the consolidated fund.

Mr. Asamoah called on workers to unite otherwise their front would be broken by politicians adding, "Let us first see ourselves as workers.”