Member of Parliament for Sissala West, Mohammed Adams, has described the 4 and 7 percent proposal in salary increment for public sector workers as an insult.
Speaking on the demonstration some of the workers embarked on yesterday, August 18, 2021, he suggested that the increment should at least be 40 percent.
“A salary of 4 and 7 percent? Honestly, I think it’s an insult to the workers. I am part of the Article 71 office holders and I would have wished to see an increment of at least 40 percent for public service workers. We are talking about people who really get the job done.”
Mohammed Adams
He further said people who say the public workers and their line of work does not warrant any high increment, are not being fair to them.
He described them as the ones who actually get all the projects and jobs in the public sector done.
“For the Ministers, the CEOs, the security heads and the Article 71 holders, they are only providing supervisory duties. In fact, they enjoy other incentives like allowances.”
Mohammed Adams
Mr. Adams further said the increment is rather too small looking at the current economic hardship that has bedeviled the country.
“We are talking about 4 per cent increment. For someone who is taking home about Ghc1000, it’s an insult to the person. Its not even up to Ghc50. You can’t call it an increment especially when we are in hard times and people cannot even afford things.
“Transportation for those who are even driving and buying fuel is another thing. Just look at the number of workers who cannot even drive their vehicles because of fuel and have to park it. They pick a car to their offices just because they cannot afford fuel.”
Mohammed Adams
Increment announcement shouldn’t have been made
Mr. Adams further stated that government should not have announced an increment if it knew it was only going to be 4 and 7 percent.
He then lamented about the fact that the economy is not being managed well and as a result government is not able to provide adequate salaries for workers.
“I am saying that we are not managing the economy very well. Day in day out we say what we generate in Ghana cannot even pay salaries so we have to borrow. Sometimes we borrow to pay salaries, sometimes we borrow to service loans.
“So, I am saying that if the economy is being managed well,;we should be able to increase their salaries more than 50 percent.”
Mohammed Adams
Public sector workers demonstration
Some aggrieved public sector workers yesterday embarked on a demonstration to register their displeasure over what they describe as poor conditions of service.
The Public sector workers said they are against the 4% and 7% base pay increase proposed by the government for public sector workers for 2021 and 2022 respectively.
In addition, the national minimum wage was increased by 6 percent for 2021 and 8 percent for 2022.
However, the group wants public sector salaries to be increased by 25% instead.
