SSPP: Junior officers earn more than some senior officers in other institutions in public service – TUC

The Secretary General of the Ghana Trades Union Congress (TUC), Dr Anthony Yaw Baah, has lamented the growing inequalities in salaries among public sector workers following the introduction of the Single Spine Pay Policy (SSPP).

“The Single Spine Pay Policy was introduced in 2010 to deal with inequalities in public sector pay but after over a decade of implementation of the Single Spine Pay Policy, we are witnessing growing pay policy inequality across the public service,” Dr Yaw Baah stated at the opening of the 2022 National Labour Conference on Monday, February 28 in Kwahu, Eastern Region.

“Some junior officers in some public service institutions are earning much higher salaries than some senior officers in other institutions in the public service.

“In the wider public sector, in fact some CEOs of some state enterprises are earning much higher salaries than the President of the Republic even though some of these state enterprises are making huge losses,” he added.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo appealed to all Ghanaians especially labour unions to stand side by side with his government as he works to revive the economy.

According to the President, a number of economic measures including the YouStart initiative, have been introduced to build the economy to benefit all Ghanaians.

Speaking at the same event he said “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 will protect all categories of workers and enable government’s progrmmes to have a positive impact on the condition of life of the working people of our country.

“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.”

The Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS) is one of the major components of the Single Spine Pay Policy (SSPP) introduced by the Government of Ghana and got implemented in 2010, to regulate the payment of public service workers especially those under article 190 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.