Accra: The Ghana Trades Union Congress (TUC) has reiterated that paying living wages to workers in Ghana is achievable if a tripartite committee agrees on it. Dr. Kwabena Nyarko Otoo, the Deputy Secretary General of the TUC, emphasized this point during a Tripartite Roundtable Discussion on Productivity, Jobs, and Growth in Ghana. The discussion was based on the Ghana Statistical Service’s (GSS) National Productivity Statistics Report.
According to Ghana News Agency, the roundtable discussion was organized by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) under the Productivity Ecosystems for Decent Work (PE4DW) project, in collaboration with the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation. Dr. Otoo highlighted that living wages should be a reality, noting that the current minimum wage of GHS19 focuses solely on the worker, neglecting their dependents.
Dr. Otoo elaborated that the minimum wage of 19 cedis falls short of addressing the comprehensive needs of workers’ families. He questioned, ‘If we assume it is enough for him, what happens to his family and spouse?’ He suggested that a living wage would consider both the worker and their family’s needs, with its calculation potentially being higher than the current minimum wage.
Furthermore, Dr. Otoo proposed a phased implementation plan for the living wage, suggesting a five-year timeline for its full realization. ‘We are not calling for it to be implemented tomorrow. If we agree at the tripartite level, what we can do is to have a programme, say, within the next five years, moving to a full-scale living wage,’ he stated.
Addressing pay inequities, Dr. Otoo lamented the increase in politicians’ salaries by over 80 percent within four years, in contrast to public sector workers who have seen less than 50 percent increase in the same period. Mr. Kingsley Laar, an Economist and Senior Researcher at the Ghana Employers’ Association, acknowledged the importance of fair compensation for workers as a driver for productivity but noted the challenges posed by the lack of data in determining fair wages. He highlighted the dilemma of balancing profit distribution between labour and capital amidst rising capital investment.