We can do more for workers

The wish of every worker is to earn a salary that can take him or her home. In other words, every worker wishes for a salary that can at least provide him and his family with a moderate standard of living.

A higher minimum wage, generally, is expected to boost the morale of workers to increase productivity, but in fixing that wage, employers guard against figures that will be harmful to their businesses and the economy.

Consequently, employers and employees look for the middle way when fixing the minimum wage, a task the National Tripartite Committee (NTC) has performed with a measure of success in the past years.

Last Tuesday, the fruitful dialogue within the NTC, comprising the government, organised labour and employers,  manifested once again with the announcement of the new national daily minimum wage (NDMW) of GH¢9.68, to take effect from January 1, 2018.

The Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Mr Ignatius Baffour Awuah, who announced the new minimum wage, said it was the first time that the minimum wage had been set in July.

The NTC may have considered some factors in fixing the new minimum wage, but suffice it to say that it will be extremely difficult for workers to live on the new rate, looking at the prevailing economic conditions in the country.

The big question is: is the minimum wage enough to take the worker home?

Under normal circumstances, the least paid worker must earn about GH¢300 at the end of the month, but in this country some employers in the private sector pay below the minimum wage, which is criminal.

Many employers in the private sector have made it a ritual to ignore the NDMW by paying below the fixed rate. The irony of the situation is that nothing is done by the authorities to check them.

Obviously, the new wage is not enough to support the needs of workers and their family.

The Secretary General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Dr Yaw Baah, said workers agreed to the 10 per cent wage increase because projections from the Ministry of Finance showed that inflation would be below 10 per cent next year.

But, in a country where projected inflation figures are most often missed, the Daily Graphic cannot fully consume the considerations for the increment and we think the rate could have been higher.

In all this, the fact also remains that if we do not grow the national cake, we cannot pay the people well. But how do we increase the cake?

Currently, productivity in the public sector is not going up and it is a source of concern to employers.

For workers to make a good case for improved salaries, they need to work hard to improve productivity. The laxity on the part of some public sector workers cannot be allowed to fester while workers call for improved wages.

We are aware that the partnership between organised labour and the government is to promote fairness at the negotiation table, but the fact remains that both parties must do more to cushion the worker.

While the Daily Graphic commends members of the NTC for the peaceful manner by which they have reached the new deal, we believe that a lot more needs to be done to ensure that wages that can truly take the worker home are fixed.