The Head of Public Affairs of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC), Earl Ankrah, says the Single Spine Pay Policy helped to address the critical issue of equity in salaries in the public sector despite its flaws.
According to him, at the time of its implementation, there was wide disparities in salaries and the implementation of the policy addressed that, however there were still some challenges with the policy.
He said the policy’s inability to address issues regarding non-core allowances of workers is responsible for many of the protests by public sector workers.
“The policy frankly has done its job. The objective of ensuring the fairness and equity across board [was achieved]… When it comes to non-core allowances things come up here and there and that has been the [cause] of many strikes and agitations,” he said on Eyewitness News.
Earl Ankrah noted that the challenge with the policy had a ripple effect on various sectors of the economy.
He said the review of the policy will hopefully address the challenges and ensure a stable labour front.
“There are challenges that is why the consultants advised that there should be a review. It has been called for sometime now and fortunately it is now going to happen,” he added.
The labour front in Ghana has in the last three years been chaotic, with many different groups staging strikes, demonstrations and other forms of protest to demand different benefits, often linked to their conditions of service.
After over a decade in use, the Single Spine Pay Policy is yet to be reviewed, with some analysts suggesting that the policy, in its current form, can be blamed for some of the agitations on the labour front.
A nine-member committee has been tasked to review the over 10-year-old policy and make recommendations to government by the end of July 2022.
It is made up of; Dr. Alhassan lddrisu of the Ministry of Finance as chairman with Mr. Benjamin Arthur (the CEO of Fair Wages and Salaries Commission) and Ms. Gloria Bortele Noi representing Government; Mr. Kingsley Laar, Mr. Isaac Sackey and Ms. Dela Agbeli represent Employers and Dr. Kwabena Nyarko Otoo, Mr. Benjamin Kobina Osei and Mr. Daniel Amamoo representing Organised Labour as members.