The cost of implementing the new public pay policy can derail the national economy unless public workers reciprocate the pay reform with increased productivity, the Chief Executive of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC), Mr George Smith-Graham, has noted. Although he declined to mention specific figures for the sake of protocol, he was emphatic that the implementation cost was so huge that the need to increase productivity to hold the economy firm should be the paramount concern of all public sector workers. He said the situation was even more dire, considering the fact that as the country cruised into an oil economy, the accrued oil revenue, and not productivity, might lead to growth in the gross domestic product (GDP). Mr Smith-Graham made the remarks at a workshop organised by the Local Government Workers Union (LGWU) to sensitise its members to the new public pay policy in Accra on Monday. It was attended by national executive members and regional chairmen and industrial relations officers of the LGWU. According to Mr Smith-Graham, if GDP growth was not based on productivity, it might throw the economy out of gear. He said the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS) was in the best interest of public sector workers, stressing, "I believe that the single spine is the best thing that can ever happen to the public service." He said it was ironical that workers who used to be outside the Ghana Universal Salary Structure (GUSS) and were considered to be better off had accepted to migrate to the SSSS, while some of those who were considered to be worse off on the GUSS were rather trying to reject the new salary structure. Mr Smith-Graham said although the relativity rate of the GUSS was three per cent, as against 1.7 per cent in respect of the SSSS, the latter pay structure was better because with a base rate pegged at 10 per cent higher than the national minimum wage, the quantum of salary under the SSSS was better than that of the GUSS. He said the consolidation of allowances and the base pay for category one workers under the new pay policy would improve on the future of workers in respect of their social security contributions and benefits, adding, that no worker would be worse off under the SSSS, "It is our business" as a commission to ensure that nobody loses out," he said, pointing out that about 40 per cent of workers would be better off under the SSSS, Mr Smith-Graham said the action instituted by the FWSC at the National Labour Commission (NLC) against CLOGSAG was not because the FWSC was a litigant but that it wanted to ensure the best outcome for all workers, He said after the passage of the act that brought into force the new' pay policy structure, it was unreasonable to negotiate on the GUSS, as demanded by the CLOGSAG: He said the FWSC was now mapping all the 512,000 public workers for their migration onto the new salary structure before the payment of July salaries. The General Secretary of the LGWU, Mr Joe Boahen, said after the workshop, the regional chairmen Of the union would convene regional council meetings to sensitise their members to the new salary structure and adopt, strategies on how best they could take full advantage of opportunities therein, Source: Daily Graphic