Draw programme for better conditions of service

The Minister of Public Sector Reforms, Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom, has urged the Civil Servants Association (CSA) to draw up its own programme on improving upon conditions of work and submit it to the Sector Ministry for discussion and implementation.

This is to ensure that the reforms being carried out would help improve the physical working conditions of public servants and also update office equipment to enhance productivity and the self-esteem of workers.

Dr. Nduom was speaking at a public forum in Tamale on Friday, to educate members of the civil service and workers in general on the public sector reforms with emphasis on pay reform.

He urged workers to ensure that their work environment was clean and hospitable, saying, "We need your help to keep out hawkers, casual visitors and other people who only come to disrupt our work and make us inefficient in our duty to our customers".

He said his Ministry had made Public Sector Pay and Pensions Reform its highest priority and this had resulted in a new comprehensive salary structure to include the progressive monetisation of non-cash benefits across the public service.

Dr. Nduom said this was to be supported by appropriate housing and long-term savings schemes, improved pensions and processing of pensions.

The Sector Minister said last year, the reform programme was able to remove pay distortions and correct wrongful placements for the civil service and this resulted in increased level of pay across the board.

He said the government was aware that in terms of equity and take-home pay there was still much to be desired and that was why a lot of time and money was being spent on national job analysis and evaluation exercise.

He said the exercise was gathering information about more than 1,500 different jobs across the public sector, with an estimated 8,000 jobholders providing information on jobs that they do.

The jobs have been selected from more than 100 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and public sector institutions funded by the Consolidated Fund.

He said the outcome of the exercise would lead to the upgrading of jobs based on their comparability and the establishment of a public sector pay based on job worth, saying; "The work would be completed in August this year in time for any adjustments to be captured in the 2008 budget".

Dr. Nduom asked for the cooperation of the Executives and the rank and file of the CSA to help improve productivity and effectiveness within the CSA to help improve productivity and effectiveness within the civil service.

Mr. Smart Chigabatia, Executive Secretary of the Civil Servants Association (CSA) urged civil servants to join the Provident Fund to enable them access loans to purchase their own houses.

Source: GNA