The Trades Union Congress’ Public Sector Employees’ Union wants the government to hold base wage talks in the 2021 budget.
The union had demanded that the government partake in wage talks for the year 2021 before the budget announcement on Friday, expressing its discontent with the government’s failure to compromise on the 2021 base salaries.
The union is concerned that the National Tripartite Committee has failed to agree on a minimum wage for employees.
Tomorrow, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu will read the government’s annual financial policy speech.
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Bernard Adjei, the General Secretary of the Public Sector Employees’ Association, cautioned that if the government fails to implement the 2021 Base Wage in the 2021 Budget, it will face repercussions.
He told Citi News that there was a lack of transparency in the matter leading up to the budget announcement.
“Government would want to answer to how they will take care of it if later there is a decision on what the base pay should be because definitely, whatever the agreement will be at the end of the day, depending on its financial implications, it has to be catered for.”
“We’ve still not heard [from] the Public Service Joint Negotiating Committee where some of these issues are discussed.”
“As for how the government wants to deal with it, we have no clue. Otherwise, what employees or public-sector union officials are saying is that they want their wages negotiated for 2021,” Mr. Adjei explained.
The union had previously encouraged the government to move urgently to resolve the questions raised.
“Furthermore, I hope that the Government of Ghana, as the country’s largest employer, will take swift action on these issues prior to the presentation of the National Budget Statement, in order to preserve the country’s relatively peaceful industrial environment.”
Source: ATLFMNEWSROOM
