Implement the new "monetisation" policy in full - Chigabatia

Accra, March 7, GNA - Civil Servants Association (CSA) on Tuesday has called on the Government to fully implement the "monetisation" policy as contained in the 2006 National Budget to its logical conclusion since anything short of that was bound to generate discontent among the rank and file of the Association.

"We would like to alert our employer that we would not be responsible for any backlash from the rank and file if they ignore our advice and go ahead with the distorted version of the monetisation policy."

Mr Smart Y.A. Chigabatia, Executive Secretary of the Association, told a press briefing in Accra that the unfair implementation of the new monetisation policy was likely to destabilize the industrial atmosphere. He thus called on the Government to engage the Association in negotiations on matters preventing the full implementation of the policy within a week to avoid destabilizing the industrial atmosphere. The press conference, which is the first to be held by the Association after the announcement of the National Minimum Wage recently attracted all the 10 Regional Executives of CSA.

Under the proposed monetisation reform programme to be implemented in three phases over a period of three years all allowances, salaries, utilities bills, vehicles and accommodation of workers are to be consolidated and monetised to enhance disposable income. Mr Chigabatia said the Association during its discussions with the Government made it clear that they would support the new policy only if the benefits from the monetisation exercise were to cascade from levels one to 22 under the Ghana Universal Salary Structure (GUSS). He said it was rather unfortunate that signals from Government indicated that the monetisation exercise would only involve levels 16 to 22 on the GUSS whiles levels one to 15 were going to be left out of the exercise.

He said the biased implementation of the new policy were likely to introduce negative distortions in the salary of the public service as well as ignore the relativities that were the building blocks of the GUSS.

He said the effect of the exercise could also separate heads of departments from those that assist them to perform their daily duties and divide the GUSS into two unequal parts.

"We are saying that we are not in support of a new salary reform that is discriminatory to any portion of our membership." He further expressed worry about certain unilateral actions taken by some government appointees in the Public Service, which he described as unprincipled and sporadic that had further led to the distortion of the GUSS.