Moves to link productivity to pay underway
The Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) and its social partners have indicated their committed to finalising indicators and standards that link productivity to pay in the public sector this year.
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The social partners are labour unions, the Ghana Employers Association (GEA) and Association of Ghana Industries (AGI).
Linking productivity to pay is one of the key functions of the FWSC captured in its enabling law, Act 737.
Under section 3 of Act 737, the FWSC is to ensure that the balance of internal consistency, external competitiveness and employee performance are fully reflected in the public service pay system, and also advise on performance management processes and indicators.
The Minister of Employment and Labour Relations at the announcement of a National Daily Minimum Wage on Tuesday, January 20, 2015, made a reference to linking productivity to pay and said the Public Services Commission (PSC) and the Office of the Head of Civil Service (OHCS) were already engaged in some performance management measures.
However, enquiries by the Daily Graphic at FWSC, the body statutorily mandated to link productivity to the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS), shows work done in executing the mandate.
Linking productivity to pay is essential for the sustainability of the SSSS which costs the country more than half a billion dollars, in the payment of the 600,000 public sector workers placed on the structure.
The Chief Executive of FWSC, Mr George Smith-Graham, and the Director, Performance Management, Monitoring and Evaluation, Mr Cornelius Yawson, who briefed the Daily Graphic, said progress had been made.
According to Mr Smith-Graham, what was more encouraging was that some executives of labour unions had approached him to lend their support to their mandate of linking productivity to the SSSS.
Similarly, at Senchi, the President of AGI, with other heads of private companies, approached him to support the effort of linking productivity to pay.
Mr Smith-Graham said subsequent to a round-table discussion on productivity held on April 15, 2014, FWSC was preparing for a national forum, where the issue would be discussed for ideas, consensus and indicators on productivity in the country, how it is to be measured, and how labour contributes to it, as well as labours’ share in it.
Labour unions, academia and think tanks like the Centre for Policy Analysis (CEPA) would be represented to garner the best ideas on the issue.
Mr Yawson, for his part, explained that while FWSC was working to execute its mandate, all other efforts relating to performance appraisal and management in the public service would be considered and appropriately aligned to the national policy on linking productivity to the SSSS.
Writer's email: caroline.boateng@graphic.com.gh