JOINT STATEMENT BY THE MINISTRY OF EMPLOYMENT AND SOCIAL WELFARE AND THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE

26TH OCTOBER, 2010
The attention of the ministries of Finance and Economic Planning (MOFEP) and Employment and Social Welfare (MESW) has been drawn to a publication on the back page of the 21st October, 2010 issue of The New Crusading Guide on the subject: “Single Spine to be Deferred”, attributed to a Deputy Minister.

Considering the sensitive nature of the subject, we wish to react as follows:

That, there is no intention by the Government to defer the implementation of the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS) to 2011, as stated in the said publication. Rather, the Government is committed to the implementation of the Roadmap and is supporting the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) to ensure the smooth implementation of the SSSS. It is also important to note that the implementation of the SSSS is not a onetime event but a process. This fact is buttressed by the Government White Paper on the implementation of the Single Spine Pay Policy, which indicates that the policy will be implemented in phases.

Considering the enormity of the implementation process, it is an acceptable fact that not all institutions can be migrated onto the SSSS at a go. The initial mapping of workers onto the Single Spine Grade Structure would have to be done first by individual institutions. So far, institutions that have successfully completed the mapping of their employees have been migrated onto the SSSS.

We want to place on record Government's commitment to the effective implementation date of 1st January, 2010.

So far, the Commission has completed the migration of the following Public Service institutions onto the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS):

1. Ghana Police Service
2. Ghana Prisons Service
3. Ghana Immigration Service
4. Ghana Fire Service
5. National Commission for Civic Education
6. Ghana Co-operatives Council
7. State Enterprises Commission
8. West Africa Examinations Council
9. Narcotics Control Board
10. National Dance Company
11. National Symphony Orchestra
12. Gratis Foundation
13. National Board for Small Scale Industries
14. Irrigation Company of Upper East Region Ltd.
15. W.E.B. Du Bois Centre
16. Centre for National Culture
17. National Folklore Board
18. Centre for Scientific Research into Plant Medicine

19. National Culture – Abibigroma
20. Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park
Apart from these institutions, the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission has also worked on the salaries of the Ghana Armed Forces.

We, as supervising ministries, continue to acknowledge the support so far received from our cherished stakeholders, including Organized Labour, Associations and Institutions for the effective implementation of the Pay Policy.

We wish to give assurance to our Stakeholders that the implementation of the Single Spine Pay Policy is on course.

HON. E.T. MENSAH (MP) HON. KWABENA DUFUOR
MINISTER MINISTER