The National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) have welcomed the new base pay for public service employees under the single spine salary structure (SSSS). The two unions - which had earlier given the government up to the end of last month to come up with the base pay - noted that they were happy that a base pay for this year had been agreed upon since their leaders had been under pressure from their rank and file. The government and organised labour agreed on Monday to a 20 per cent increase in the base pay. The agreement reached-put the base rate, that is the minimum pay on the SSSS, at GH¢ 4.10 and pay point relativity, that is the percentage differentials between successive pay points, at 1.7 per cent. In June 2010, a base pay of GH¢ 3.42 and a relativity of 1.7 was agreed to in the first negotiation by the Public Services Negotiating Joint Standing Committee for the new salary structure which was then in its early stages of implementation. The President of NAGRAT, Mr Christian Addae-Poku, and a Deputy General Secretary of GNAT, Mr V.Y.K. Demanya, stated the positions of the two associations in separate interviews with the Daily Graphic on Tuesday. "We are happy because it was delaying. This was sup¬posed to have been done in January 2011," Mr Addai-Poku said, adding that "it is better late than never". He noted that once workers had been given an assurance that arrears would be paid at the end of September, members of the association would keep their fingers crossed and wait for the payment to be effected. He said although members were expecting a 25 per cent increment in the base pay, the 20 per cent was what had been agreed upon by organised labour of which the association was part. With the new development, Mr Addai-Poku said, the leadership had decided to stay any strike that would be embarked upon if there were further delays. . For his part, Mr Demanya said although the leadership was yet to be briefed officially on the base pay, the association was happy that a base pay had finally been agreed upon. "From the media reports we are okay," he said. Both GNAT and NAGRAT gave the government up to the end of July 2011 to come up with the base pay for this year. They threatened to advise themselves if the July deadline was no met.