President John Dramani Mahama has pledged to review the Single Spine Salary Structure and the country’s pension system to improve remuneration, retirement security, and working conditions for teachers and other public sector workers.
The President gave the assurance on January 5 while addressing delegates at the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) conference in Accra, where concerns about low salaries, pensions, and workplace safety dominated discussions.
President Mahama said the proposed review would form part of a broader reform agenda aimed at ensuring fair compensation and improved security for workers during active service and retirement.
He noted that government was prepared to re-examine both salary and pension frameworks in response to sustained pressure from organised labour.
Responding to appeals from the Trades Union Congress (TUC), the President said a working team would be constituted to review the three-tier pension scheme and make recommendations to improve benefits and enhance retirement security.
He acknowledged that while the pension system initially enjoyed broad support, growing dissatisfaction has made a review necessary.
President Mahama also admitted long-standing challenges with the Single Spine Salary Structure, describing it as inequitable and ineffective. He said the system has failed to adequately reward workers across the public sector and requires urgent reform to boost morale and productivity.
“Everybody is unhappy with the spine, and so we are very willing to look at the whole salary structure again so that we are able to remunerate people better,” the President said.
The President was responding to submissions by GNAT President, Reverend Isaac Owusu, who urged government to prioritise a review of the Single Spine Pay Policy before the end of the year. Reverend Owusu argued that teachers remained overworked and underpaid despite their critical role in national development, warning that delays in reform could further demoralise the profession.
He said a timely review would significantly improve salaries and conditions of service in the education sector, stressing that teachers continue to be underappreciated and overburdened.
Teacher safety also featured prominently at the conference, with Reverend Owusu declaring zero tolerance for assaults on teachers. He warned that GNAT would not hesitate to shut down schools if attacks on teachers persist.
Backing the stance, President Mahama described assaults on teachers as criminal acts and assured delegates of firm government action against perpetrators.
In a related development, the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, confirmed that government would also review the pension framework to enhance the welfare of retired education workers.
The President’s assurances come amid growing calls from teacher unions for improved salaries, better funding for education, and safer working environments, as stakeholders insist that sustained reforms are critical to restoring confidence in the education sector.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
