Labour Consultant, Austin Gamey has advised against comparing remuneration for Article 71 holders with other public sector workers.

Speaking on JoyNews’ Super Morning Show, on Tuesday, he explained that the terms and conditions of service of the two categories of public servants are different.

He was contributing to discussions on the reasons for the strike action by the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG). UTAG embarked on the industrial action due to government’s failure to address the worrying condition of service of lecturers.

Mr. Gamey comment was necessitated by suggestions to include Article 71 office holders in the same salary structure as other public servants to ensure fairness in terms of wages.

He stated that Article 71 office holders are not employed by means of interviews but are elected and made to serve a four-year contract which clearly differentiates them from ordinary public servants.

 “We have to separate the two things. It is the amount of money that is paid to them that matters. But we don’t employ political office holders through taking them through a kind of interview and so forth and so on. They are elected, and they are contracted for four years. So when you are paid, whether it’s a GHC 100 a month and you finish the four years, your constituents boot you out. That is how it is... We really have to think very hard about it, that is why our Labour Act is very clear and distinct and has nothing to do with them [ Political office holders] directly. It’s like you are mixing apples and oranges,” he stressed.

He stated that although he is in support of paying the lecturers well, their salaries should be determined by productivity.