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Tag: salary increment

  • Gov’t Doing Its Possible Best to resolve Economic Crisis– Akufo-Addo

    Gov’t Doing Its Possible Best to resolve Economic Crisis– Akufo-Addo

    President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has assured that his government is working tirelessly to deal with the current economic mess.

    Addressing workers during this year’s May Day celebration in Bolgatanga, the President said his government is assiduously engaging the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to secure board approval for Ghana’s $3 billion bailout request, to bring relief to Ghanaians.

    “We continue to work tirelessly to complete all prior actions required to present Ghana’s request to the IMF’s integrity board for approval. We have also made substantial progress on the debt exchange programme, as well as our engagements with bilateral creditors to secure the financing required for the IMF programme.”

    Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo

    The government is seeking $3 billion in support from the IMF to address the country’s economic challenges.

    President Akufo-Addo also assured that his government will thrive to find lasting peace to the protracted Bawku ethnic conflict, before the end of his tenure. According to him, finding lasting peace in the Bawku conflict remains his highest priority as president.

    Meanwhile, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) has suggested to the government to convert the National Cathedral project into a national hospital.

    Addressing the 2023 May Day parade in Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region, the Secretary-General of the TUC, Dr Anthony Yaw Baah claimed converting the project into a hospital, will serve Ghanaians better than a Cathedral.

    “The president has always said he wants to create another Notre Dame in Ghana, so we can attract a lot of visitors, but we disagree. In fact, comrades, it will be better to convert the project into a national hospital,” Dr Yaw Baah said adding “Mr. President you can also reduce the size of your government. Ghana has too many ministers and deputy ministers.”

    Government Commitment To Protecting The Jobs And Incomes Of Workers

    Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo assured workers of protecting their jobs and incomes. He claimed not only to have demonstrated that over the course of the year but also proceeded to improve on the existing incomes of workers and pensioners alike.

    “Organised Labour appealed to Government for the payment of Cost-of-Living Allowance (COLA) for public sector workers to cushion them against the difficult economic conditions. In response, Government and Organised Labour reached an agreement for the payment of fifteen percent (15%) COLA to public sector workers. As a sign of goodwill for workers in the private sector, the National Tripartite Committee agreed to the payment of fifteen percent (15%) Cost-of-Living Allowance (COLA) for them, in addition to the ten percent (10%) upward adjustment of the 2023 National Daily Minimum Wage.

    “In spite of the difficult challenges Government and employers face, this was made possible through consensus building, to ensure businesses attain high levels of employment to hasten economic recovery. This is no mean feat, as it is the first time in the history of the determination of the National Daily Minimum Wage that the parties agreed to the payment of COLA, after wage adjustment for the year has already been agreed upon. This is an indication of our collective resolve to protect workers and their standards of living.”

    Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo

    Akufo-Addo claimed that this year begun with Government and Organised Labour concluding negotiations on the 2023 Base Pay and Pay Point Relativity for Public Sector Workers, in January 2023. He said that this led to an increment by thirty percent (30%) over the 2022 figure, effective 1st January 2023.

    He also assured that this increment will help mitigate the difficulties workers are facing, largely arising from the effects of global inflation.

    READ ALSO: Former President Mahama Urges Ghanaian Workers On For A Better Future

  • Government Can’t Meet 60% Base Pay Demand – Wereko Brobbey

    Government Can’t Meet 60% Base Pay Demand – Wereko Brobbey

    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.

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  • TEWU Resolves To Turn Down Single Digit Increment For 2023 Base Pay

    TEWU Resolves To Turn Down Single Digit Increment For 2023 Base Pay

    The Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU) of the Trades Union Congress (TUC-Ghana) has expressed its resolve to turn down any single digit increment from government as a base pay for the year 2023.

    TEWU revealed that it is preparing the grounds for negotiation of a minimum wage and the base pay for 2023. At the last negotiations, it noted that when 4 percent and 7 percent increases were offered for 2021 and 2022 respectively, the spontaneous agitation from the larger workers front, was not an easy task. That notwithstanding, it indicated that union leaders managed to calm tempers.

    Contained in a statement signed by the General Secretary of TEWU, Mark Dankyira Korankye, it explained that the agitated workers demanded that their leaders should go back to the negotiating table, and get something better than 4 percent and 7 percent increase offered for 2021 and 2022 respectively. Mr Korankye emphasized that the members “used all sort of unprintable words to describe the leaders of organized labour, accusing them of betrayal”.

    “It is the hope of TEWU that at the negotiation for 2023 base pay, government would not insist on a single digit increase, but a meaningful increase that will cushion workers. Now that inflation is hovering above 19%, there is so much damage and pressure brought on the Ghanaian worker and his or her salary. It is in this light that, TEWU leaders say, a single digit upward adjustment of the base pay will not be accepted under any condition presented by government.”

    TEWU

    TEWU demands better conditions of services

     As part of its goodwill message to workers to celebrate the May Day, TEWU disclosed that in collaboration with its members, the government and other social partners, it will focus on four major areas which are critical to enhancing the welfare and living conditions of Ghanaian workers. The areas include pay cost of living allowance (COLA) and tackling of critical ailment conditions of workers.

    Commenting on the payment of COLA, TEWU revealed that government must pay workers these allowances and “stop the chorus on COVID-19 challenges”. It expressed that as labour leaders, it’s resolute, in ensuring that the workers’ front is kept busy and labour continues to produce to keep the country running.

    “In view of these difficult times, we as workers leaders, earlier in the year, made a proposal to government that with the spate of increase, the authorities should consider giving workers, Cost of Living Allowance (COLA), to at least cushion workers against these prices’ hikes. We have been expecting that government will engage us on it, unfortunately, there has been dead silence from government on this proposal.”

    TEWU

    TEWU emphasized that fuel prices have gone up multiple times and for that matter, transport fares have increased. Equally, it indicated that prices of goods, especially food and services are “galloping, but it is sad to say that salaries of workers have not gone up, or better still they have remained stagnant. In real sense, salaries have dipped”.

    Subsequently, TEWU commended workers particularly Ghanaian workers in the educational and allied sectors, for their efforts in keeping the economy running.

    “There is no doubt that on this special day, workers feel on top of their world, as they are acknowledged for their various contributions in socio-economic progress of society.”

    TEWU

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  • TUC Threatens To Embark On A “Never Before Seen” Industrial Action

    TUC Threatens To Embark On A “Never Before Seen” Industrial Action

    General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Dr Yaw Baah, has threatened to embark on an unprecedented industrial action in the country if government fails to announce salary increment.

    Dr Baah revealed that government must avoid associating its inability to increase salaries of employees to the COVID-19 pandemic and the rift between Russia and Ukraine. He noted that the job crisis did not start with Ukraine and predates the rift between the feuding countries.

    “We will continue to talk, we will continue to negotiate but if the dialogue fails, we are going to embark on an industrial action that has never happened in this country before… We think it is not right to blame Ukraine and Covid-19 for every job crisis we have in this country.”

    Dr Yaw Baah

    The General Secretary for TUC explained that employers must “index” employees’ salary to the inflation due to the incessant changes in the prices of goods. He opined that the inflation rate does not affect employers the way it is “affecting us therefore, we should get our salaries indexed.” Owing to this, Dr Baah further urged employees to think outside the box and not be overly dependant on government.

    “Don’t let us rely too much on government and employers. Let us ask the question, what can we do for ourselves as workers and unions? We will negotiate effectively this year and that one, I want to assure you that I will lead that negotiation.”

    Dr Yaw Baah

    Speaking at an Organized Labour Pre-May Day Forum , today, April 21, 2022, Dr. Baah expressed dissatisfaction with government’s unwillingness to actively engage with the TUC over its concerns. He emphasized that it is high time government realizes the relevance of workers in the progress of the country.

    “We hardly want to strike because a strike is a very difficult thing to do. It is like war, so before we declare war we have to make sure we have a good reason. This time we have a good reason to do this. The workers of this country are suffering too much, and we should not allow it to continue.”

    Dr Yaw Baah

    TUC calls for pension reforms

    Touching on the fate of pensioners in the country, Dr Baah further opined that the TUC has assessed the pensioners’ situation in Ghana and has concluded that the plight of most pensioners is nothing to write home about. He expressed that most pensioners are dying prematurely because they receive as low as GHS300 per month.

    The low level salaries of employees, Dr Baah highlighted, translates to low pensions. As a result of this, he stated that things must change because pensioners become less agile to engage in any strenuous work to earn extra income.

    “We have analysed pensions and those who are earning pensions, it is very sad… But that is the time you are going to earn very little. No wonder many pensioners die before their appointed time. That should change. As I speak to you now, there are many pensioners who are earning just 300 cedis a month but you will be surprised to hear on the same social security scheme [and] SSNIT, somebody is earning GHS142, 000 every month. If you multiply that by 12, you will get the annual pension for that pension. This is not right and we have to change it.”

    Dr Yaw Baah

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  • We will negotiate the base pay for 2021 with a 21% increment- NAGRAT

    We will negotiate the base pay for 2021 with a 21% increment- NAGRAT

    The President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Angel Carbonu, has called for a 21 percent increment on the base salary as a result of the lamentable conditions they are faced with.

    In effect, Mr. Carbonu demanded the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) to immediately commence negotiations on the base pay for 2021.

    Speaking in an interview, NAGRAT’s president bemoaned the poor conditions of service public sector workers have had to endure, emphatically stating that the current economic hardships demanded a twenty one percent increment for the 2021 base pay.

    “We are calling on the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission and the Public Sector Joint negotiations committee as a whole to quickly reconvene for us to negotiate the base pay for 2021. As a union, we will not shy away from indicating that looking at the economic situation and the challenges that Ghanaian teachers face, we will negotiate the base pay for 2021 with a 21% increment. So, NAGRAT is calling on all stakeholders to arrange a meeting to discuss this.”

    Highlighting some of the challenges, he urged government to rectify the issues.

    “Somebody is just indicating that when you are transferred below 50 kilometres, you are not paid transfer grants. I do not know who negotiated that, workers did not negotiate that. Workers are transferred without accommodation packages. Somebody is introducing a certain strange clause. We want to find out who did and when it was because it seems workers are being taken advantage of”.

    In 2019, The National Tripartite Committee (NTC) announced an increase in the National Daily Minimum Wage (NDMW) to GH¢11.82.

    The new minimum was an 11 per cent increase from the GH¢10.65 figure for 2019.

    With this, it was the least wage any employer in the country can pay a worker in a day.

    Announcing the increase in August 2019, the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Mr. Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, also stated that the NTC had agreed that the new NDMW should be tax-exempt.

    He advised all establishments, institutions and organizations to adjust their wages accordingly and warned that any entity which flouted the new rate would be dealt with in accordance with the law.

    In a similar vein, the Minister announced that the government and organised labour had agreed that the current base pay on the Single Spine Salary Structure should be increased by 12 per cent across board for the year 2020 at the existing pay point relativity of 1.7 per cent.

    He said the base pay, therefore, had been increased from GH¢9.10 per day in 2019 to GH¢10.19 in 2020.

    Mr. Baffour-Awuah further noted the said parties had also agreed to revise the prevailing rates of allowances expressed in the absolute amounts on the categories two and three allowances to new levels to take effect from January 2020.

    He advised government ministries, departments and agencies to take appropriate steps to give effect to the revised categories in accordance with new guidelines to be issued by the Ministry of Finance.