LET'S HAVE CALM ON LABOUR FRONT (MAY 21, 2009)

RECENT events speak of uneasy calm on the labour front. Doctors in public hospitals in the nation’s capital and other urban centres have embarked on a work-to-rule action to put pressure on the government to review their salaries and service conditions.
While the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) are engaged in negotiations to resolve the issue, some members of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) are gearing up to express their frustration at the delays in the implementation of the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS).
Against the background of the labour agitation, the government has decided to organise a forum at the end of this month to discuss the implementation of the new salary scheme for public sector workers.
The DAILY GRAPHIC thinks that the forum is a step in the right direction, since it will provide the platform for all stakeholders to discuss the sticky points so that we can decide on a more rewarding scheme for workers.
Building such national consensus on the process of the implementation of the SSSS cannot be ignored because collective ownership is very crucial for the success of the scheme. The scheme will be an exercise in futility if a section of society calls for its speedy implementation, while others kick against it.
As of now, the doctors have raised concerns over the SSSS, while teachers are pushing for its speedy implementation. Such diametrically opposing views by the two groups can adversely impact on the fortunes of the scheme.
The DAILY GRAPHIC believes that dialogue remains the most plausible way to deal with any differences and chart a way forward. As the stakeholders go into the forum, we would like to advise them to approach the issues with open minds.
Entrenched positions by doctors, teachers or any group of workers at the forum will not be helpful in our quest to find solutions to the problems of the implementation of the SSSS.
We should learn to bend backwards to make way for the smooth implementation of the scheme if our compromises will serve the larger interest of the society.
We are aware that in other jurisdictions, salaries reflect one’s qualification and experience. We are also mindful of the fact that industry, the type and size of organisations, productivity and the risk associated with particular work are some other factors which influence the incomes of workers. The premium we put on some of these factors in determining the incomes of workers will go a long way to resolve the difficulties in the implementation of the SSSS.
The DAILY GRAPHIC urges the participants in the forum to take into consideration the impact of the global financial downturn on the country’s economy. Elsewhere, workers have decided to cut down on their incomes in order to stay in employment, otherwise they risk losing their jobs.
We commend the government for taking the decision to engage the stakeholders in a public discourse to remove any impediments in the implementation of the scheme. The forum should not be regarded as an event but a process of continuous engagement between the government and labour until all the bottlenecks are removed for the smooth implementation of the scheme.