The Civil and Local Government Staff Association of Ghana (CLOGSAG) is demanding an immediate review of how salaries are administered in the public sector.

Speaking after government announced a 7% pay rise for public sector workers, Executive Secretary of the Association, Dr Isaac Bampoe Addo, observed that there is a huge disparity in the amount different classes of public sectors are paid.

He described this system as an apartheid one and is calling for an urgent review of the single spine salary structure.

“To us as CLOGSAG, the issue is transparency. This apartheid system of salary administration in the public services must give way to scientific thinking. There are differentials of salaries in the public services, and these are the things they must look at.”

“Every year, we hear revenue shortfalls from the ‘Ministry of Expenditure’. Yet, Ghana Revenue Authority will tell us they have exceeded their target every year, so what are you talking about? We must take a look at the single spine salary structure,” he suggested.

Meanwhile, Deputy Employment and Labor Relations Minister, Bright Wereko Brobbey says the 7% was agreed on between government and organised labour at the tripartite committee.

He says the agitation by some unions against the 7% salary increment is unfounded.

“In principle, it appears everybody is talking about the high cost of living and therefore salary adjustment and so on. The mischief that I see in the submission of [most speakers] is that they are aware that these things are determined by law. In 2021, we had the opportunity to do this to fulfil an obligation to meet what the law demands, which we did.”

“This year, we have 7%, which has been the basis for even the determination and putting all figures in the budget and so on. If, for any reason, people are calling for an adjustment, there’s a body that looks at this. It is not done unilaterally by government alone [but] it is done by the joint committee of the tripartite,” he clarified.