The Deputy Minister for Employment and Labour Relations, Bright Wereko-Brobby, has disclosed that the government is only willing to offer Organised Labour a 15 percent increase in their base pay.

According to him, the Government cannot meet the 60 percent increase in base pay being demanded by Organised Labour.“If we could meet that [demand] we would have given it and this banter won’t be happening,” Mr Wereko-Brobby noted.

“We have tabled 15 percent for now, that is what we have tabled. I am not part of those who do the mathematics and all that, but that is what we have tabled.”
Mr Wereko Brobbey

Organised labour is demanding a 60% increase in the base pay on the single spine salary structure to compensate for an unstable economic climate and high inflation.

The negotiations between the Government and Organised Labour over the proposed 60% increase in the base pay of public sector workers were adjourned indefinitely after both parties failed to reach a consensus during a meeting on Wednesday November 23.

Despite government’s plea for organised labour to accept the 15 percent increase in the base pay, the Deputy Secretary-General of the Trades Union Congress, Joshua Ansah, stated that they will not back down on their demand for a 60 percent increment.

Why The Demand?

In a letter by TUC General Secretary, Dr. Yaw Baah and Isaac Bampoe Addo, Chairman of the forum of Public Sector Workers, Organised Labour cited the rising inflation and the 15% Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) granted on the National Daily Minimum Wage as grounds for their proposal.

“Due to the inflationary trends and the fact that 15% COLA has been granted on the National Daily Minimum Wage (NDMw), we humbly propose that a 60% increase on the 2022 Base Pay should be considered,” the letter noted.

According to Organised Labour, a huge gap has been created between the National Daily Minimum Wage and the Base Pay as a result of accepting COLA instead of normal salary increase and granting increases in the National Daily Minimum Wage. The group stated that, the 2022 daily Base Pay on the 2022 Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS) is 16.26% below the 2022 daily minimum wage.

“In order to close the gap and restore the 10% point with respect to the National Daily Minimum Wage (NDMW), the daily Base Pay for 2023 should be GH¢l4.88 plus 10% which is GH¢16.37,” the group stated.

They, therefore, want the annual Base Pay on the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS) for 2023 to be increased to GH¢5,303.23 from the current GH¢3,672.84.