Accra: President John Dramani Mahama has pledged to carry out a review of the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS) and Pensions, as part of Government's efforts to address concerns of public sector workers.
According to Ghana News Agency, the President made the promise in his address at the opening of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) 54th National Delegate Congress and Seventh Quadrennial Conference in Accra. The event was themed 'Education and Development: The Ghana Education Service (GES) at 50: Reflecting, Reviewing, Revising, and Growing the Profession and the Unions'.
The SSSS is a public sector pay system designed to standardize wages for fairness and transparency by grouping jobs onto unified salary scales. It was introduced by the Kufuor Administration, although negotiations were incomplete when Professor John Evans Atta Mills won the 2008 election, with Mr. Mahama as Vice President.
President Mahama criticized the outgoing Kufuor administration for implementing a lump sum increment and imposing the SSSS on Ghanaians without thorough negotiations. Organized labor, led by the Trades Union Congress (TUC), opted to negotiate with the new government, leading to a working, albeit imperfect, system.
He acknowledged that while initial arrears were settled before his administration left office in 2016, the system has since become problematic and contentious. He assured that the government is open to reviewing the SSSS to ensure better remuneration for public sector workers.
On pensions, President Mahama recounted past reforms that initially satisfied stakeholders, but acknowledged current dissatisfaction. He expressed the government's readiness to collaborate with the TUC and other stakeholders to revisit pension reforms, aiming to improve security for retirees.
Reverend Isaac Owusu, the National President of GNAT, emphasized the need for an immediate review of the single-spine pay policy to align with the Government's Resetting Agenda. He stressed the importance of recognizing the crucial role of teachers in society and the direct impact of their motivation on students' learning outcomes.