Accra, July 19, GNA - The Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) has set up internal implementation teams, which are working with institutions to map individuals onto their grades and levels on the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS).

Mr George Smith-Graham, Chief Executive Officer of FWSC, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, on Monday, said mapping was the most difficult aspect of the implementation. It began about two weeks ago.

He explained that some workers had been on the same grade or level for various periods of time in their institutions and, therefore, had to be mapped separately and the number of workers for the mapping would delay the implementation in some institutions this month.

"It is possible that some institutions with a few workers would complete the mapping and implement the single spine in July. However, the 10 per cent increase in salaries for public workers across board, effective January, would reflect in their salaries in July," he added.

A reliable source at the Controller and Accountant General's Department (CAGD) said it was working according to government's directives on the policy to pay the single spine salary in July.

It said all the necessary institutions set up towards the implementation were collaborating for a successful implementation.

The FWSC, organised labour, and associations, on Wednesday, June 30, reached an agreement on the Base Pay and Pay-Point Relativity Ratio for the structure.

This was a major step towards the implementation of the Single Spine Pay Policy (SSPP) and paved the way for the mapping.

In a communiqu=E9, signed by Mr Smith-Graham, and Mr Kofi Asamoah, Secretary General of Ghana Trades Union Congress, (GTUC) on behalf of organised labour, said, the Public Services Joint Standing Negotiating Committee (PSJSNC) had agreed on a pay-point relativity of 1.7 per cent and an annual base pay of GH¢1,108.08, translating into GH¢3.42 daily.

The effective date of implementation of the SSSS is January 1, 2010.

The communiqu=E9 said PSJSNC also agreed to achieve a pay-point relativity of two per cent by 2012 as part of the process towards achieving full equity and elimination of distortions in public service pay, with the view to improving productivity and service delivery.