President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has urged all Ghanaians, particularly labor unions, to cooperate with his government in reviving the economy.
According to the President, a variety of economic initiatives have been implemented, including the YouStart program, to strengthen the economy and benefit all Ghanaians.
“Let me respond to the Secretary General of the Trades Union Congress by saying that I recognize the urgency of concluding the review of the Labour Act and erecting a legal framework that protects all categories of workers and enables government programs to have a positive impact on the working people’s condition of life in our country,” he said on Monday February 28.
“One such, potentially the most exciting, is the 10 billion cedis YouStart programme which is intended to help address youth unemployment in the country. Government has directed financial and technical support towards young entrepreneurs in the country to develop commercially viable businesses and create jobs for other youth.
“In effect, it will be a vehicle for supporting young entrepreneurs to gain access to capital, training, technical skills and mentoring to enable them launch and start their businesses
“I thus appeal to all Ghanaians especially organized labour and the business community to stand should to shoulder with my government as we work to return our nation onto the path of progress and prosperity within the confines of our open democratic institutions, which have respect for human rights, rule of law and the principle of democratic accountability. I am a firm personal believer in our national potential, I have no doubt that we have, in us, the potential to rise up and revive our fortune. There are brighter days ahead for Ghana.
Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Ignatius Baffuor Awuah, also indicated that stakeholders would debate whether or not to continue with the Single Spine Salary Structure implementation.
“Usually, on annual basis, members of the public sector during negotiations committee will meet and negotiate on agreeable limit of increment. When so done it cuts across and you do not have any individual group coming to you to negotiate.
“So anytime you hear of any industrial action within the public space it is not not about base pay, it is rather about some condition of service which is peculiar to that particular organization.
“But with that of general increment we have always had smooth application of that. But I must admit, of late we have had calls made to us by some organizations that they want to opt out. This conference will look at it as to whether or not the single spine has actually lived its purpose, whether we should maintained it of whether we should make challenges in its applications.
The Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS) is a significant component of the Ghanaian government’s Single Spine Pay Policy (SSPP), which was adopted in 2010, to control the payment of public sector personnel, particularly those covered under Article 190 of the 1992 Ghanaian Constitution.
Additionally, he said that whether the policy served its intended goal would be reviewed.