The Minister of Public Sector Reform, Paa Kwesi Nduom has condemned the Ghana Medical Association for its stand over the implementation of a new salary structure for workers. He stressed that the GMA’s position to resist it implementation was unnecessary, saying “it is not a position to take.” Dr Nduom said this at a forum at Saltpond as part of a day’s visit to the Central Region. The forum attended by civil and public servants was to brief them on government policies for restructuring the public service and the role expected of them. A similar forum also held at Cape Coast where he also interacted with the workers. In a communiqué issued at the end of its annual conference, the GMA said it had cited documents purporting to place doctors at a disadvantage when a new pay structure is implemented. He explained that the entire public sector would be out on a single pay structure and urged everybody to operate with its implementation. He contended that the move was to solve the difficulties that exist in the current structure especially the health sector and was aimed to bring discontentment in the system. Dr Nduom further urged aggrieved workers to seek redress through the proper channel with regard to the single pay structure and not to threaten strike action. He said that henceforth salaries could only be negotiated with the Wags and Salary Commission which is tasked with the responsibility of looking into the conditions of service. He reiterated the government’s commitment to strengthen the public sector since the country would not be able to achieve the target of the Milleium Development Goal without a vibrant sector. The Executive secretary of the Civil Servants Association, Smart Chigabatia on his part stressed the need for workers and employers to respect the law. Source: The Ghanaian Times