President Akufo-Addo has announced that a technical committee has been set up by the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations to review the Single Spine Pay Policy, the country’s pay system for public sector workers.
According to him, this review is expected to give the government answers on whether or not the policy is living up to expectations.
Speaking at the May Day ceremony on Sunday, May 1, he stated that “I am also happy to announce that following the National Labour Conference at Kwahu, the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations and its tripartite partners have set up, as of Tuesday, 26th April, a technical committee to review the Single Spine Pay Policy (SSPP), and advise Government accordingly.”
This is the second time the President is announcing an intended review of the Single Spine salary structure. At the 2018 May Day celebration, he announced the intention to review the policy.
This is also the second time the Employment Ministry is engaging in a review of the single spine pay system. In October 2017, an 11 member committee, chaired by Bright Wireko-Brobbey, Deputy Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, was set up to review the public sector pay system. The outcome of the work of that committee remains unknown to the public.
President Akufo-Addo indicates that the government is expecting the committee’s report on the review in July, 2022.
This, he believes, “will help us put an end to most of the unrest we see on the labour front involving public sector workers.”
The implementation of the Single Spine Salary Structure begun in 2010 with the aim of streamlining the wages of public service workers.
However, the policy has resulted in a colossal wage bill, without a corresponding productivity level, which continuous create complex economic challenges for the government.
This year’s May Day celebration was held under the theme, “Protecting Jobs and Incomes in the era of Covid-19 and Beyond.”
By Edmund Mingle /adrdaily.com
