Public sector workers to get 20% pay rise

The government yesterday announced a 20 per cent increase in salaries across board, raising the minimum wage from ?16,000 to ?19,200.

The increase takes retrospective effect from January 1, 2006.

A release issued by the ministry said the increase was applicable to all government ministries, agencies and departments (MDAs) operating with salaries governed by the Ghana Universal Salary Structure (GUSS).

The new salary levels, it said, would reflect in the pay of workers at the end of this month, while the four months? arrears from January to April 2006 would be paid in two equal instalments in June and July 2006.

It said the salary adjustment was the result of successful negotiations with the Joint Consultative Forum and part of measures to improve the salaries of workers, in addition to the ongoing Public Sector Reform.

The government, in March this year, increased the minimum wage from ?13,500 to ?16,000, after agitation from organised labour that the minimum wage of less than two dollars was low, considering the upward adjustment in the prices of petroleum products.

However, after negotiations among organised labour, employers and the government, which constituted the National Tripartite Committee (NTC), a new minimum wage of ?16,000 was agreed upon.

Following that, and with the intermittent increases in the prices of petroleum products, organised labour has been agitating for a very realistic minimum wage to reflect the changing trend.

Recently, civil servants in Accra staged street protests to press home their demand for quick action on the monetisation of benefits in the Civil Service.

They also demanded upward adjustments in their wages, which they said had been eroded by hikes in petroleum prices.