The Federation of Universities Senior Staff of Ghana (FUSSAG) has described the proposed moratorium on the salary increment in the year 2014 as untenable in view of adverse economic conditions that have eroded the value of wages and salaries of the Ghanaian worker. This was contained in a statement to the press issued on Monday, 14th April, 2014 and signed by the General Secretary, Mr. Jacob Emmanuel Eshun.

The statement reminded the government that any agreement to adjust wages and salaries is informed largely by cost of living. The statement admitted that, productivity is one of the factors that influence wage determination; there is no evidence to suggest that productivity in the public sector has worsened. According to the Mr. Eshun, the proposal to freeze salary adjustment is reprehensible to the extent that it will worsen the welfare of the citizenry.

“The Federation of Universities Senior Staff Associations of Ghana will resist any attempt to freeze salary increment. Such a decision will be arbitrary and not in the interest of our hardworking members who make considerable sacrifices in the course of duty. The low salary levels of University staff still remains unaddressed, hence any attempt at freezing increment will cause more harm than good”, the statement concluded.

Full statement

The Federation of Universities Senior Staff Associations of Ghana (FUSSAG) of Trades Union Congress is dismayed by the intention of the government to freeze salary increment in the year 2014. The decision to freeze salaries increase is untenable in view of the adverse economic conditions that have eroded the value of wages and salaries of the Ghanaian worker. It is our considerable opinion that any attempt to freeze salary and wage increment will worsen, rather than advance the welfare of Ghanaian worker.

We wish to remind the government that any agreement to adjust wages and salaries is informed largely by cost of living to compensate for the resultant erosion of the value of wages and salaries. Albeit, productivity is one of the factors that influence wage determination, there is no evidence to suggest that productivity in the public sector has worsened. The use of the budget deficit to justify the freeze in wages and salaries cannot be accepted.

We wish to draw the attention of the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning to the basic fact that ultimate aim of any economic decision or policy is to improve the welfare of the citizenry. Any policy that obviously worsens the welfare of the Ghanaian worker is therefore reprehensible. We wish to posit that any freeze on salary increment in 2014 will not be the panacea to the current economic challenge, but will rather create more problems for the country. The intention must be stayed to allow the Public Services Joint Standing Negotiation Committee (PSJSNC) negotiates the 2014 minimum wage and base pay.

The Federation of Universities Senior Staff Associations of Ghana will resist any attempt to freeze salary increment. Such a decision will be arbitrary and not in the interest of our hardworking members who make considerable sacrifices in the course of duty. The low salary levels of University staff still remains unaddressed, hence any attempt at freezing increment will cause more harm than good.