The size of the wages or salaries given to public-sector workers in the country is a huge problem in the country and as such calls for review every year.
Negotiations are, therefore, done every year to increase the sizes to compensate for, at least, the loss in purchasing power.
On Tuesday, the National Tripartite Committee, the body responsible for the negotiations, began its work to determine the minimum wage and base pay for the 2025 fiscal year.
The Committee comprises representatives of the government, organised labour and employers organisations, but may invite any interested parties to attend its meetings.
Whereas minimum wage is the lowest amount permitted by law or by a special agreement to be paid to a certain category of workers, base pay, also commonly referred to as a base salary or hourly rate, is a fixed amount that an employer agrees to pay an employee in exchange for time and services agreed upon before the employee begins working, excluding bonuses and other compensations or allowances.
Thus, while the base pay varies greatly, depending
on experience, job duties, and competencies and the particular workplace norms, the legally-backed minimum wage may cut across many workplaces as the base no employer can fall below in the process of paying his/her workers.
Currently, the minimum wage is GH¢18.15, the figure agreed for 2024 based on the GH¢14.88 for 2023.
Regarding the negotiations that have commenced, a statement signed by the Acting Spokesperson to President John Dramani Mahama, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, the minimum wage would be done before base pay (for public sector salaries).
Salary negotiations in the country hardly pass without incidents emanating from certain factors, some very important and others not too serious to be entertained.
The Ghanaian Times is happy to hear from the Government that the negotiations for both the minimum wage and the base pay for the 2025 financial year are behind schedule and are expected to be completed by the end of April 2024, though, per the Public Financial Management Act 2016, but their implementation would take retrospective effect from January 1, 2025.
It is an undeniable fact that the quantum of the wages and salaries arrived at must be captured in the 2025 budget.
To this end, those of us working on this paper join the call on the social partners involved in the processes, namely the government, employers and organised labour, to work expeditiously to complete the negotiations in time to inform the 2025 Budget.
Already times are hard and so any delays in the negotiations would mean prolonging or worsening the sufferings of public-sector workers and the increased or new salaries expected to come to ameliorate their financial burdens would not come in good time.
Now to the Tripartite Committee, The Ghanaian Times appeals that you should be realistic enough to agree on figures that can help workers, especially those on the minimum wage to have some relief.
You should remember that a good wage motivates workers to give in their best and avoid work-related negative habits like lateness, absenteeism, thievery and dilly-dallying on tasks.