The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has activated moves to commence negotiations with the Finance Ministry for a new minimum wage.
In a statement on the investiture of President Akufo-Addo, the TUC said it was necessary to negotiate for a new national base pay for 2021 and that the negotiations are now overdue because of some extenuating circumstances, apparently, the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The TUC has already written to the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations requesting for a meeting of the National Tripartite Committee to commence negotiation of the national minimum wage for 2021 to pave way for the negotiation of base pay. We expect the negotiation of the national minimum wage and base pay for 2021 to be concluded before the National Budget is presented to Parliament in March 2021,” the statement said.
The current Daily national Minimum Wage (NDMW) is GHC 11.82 after it went up 11 percentage points over the 2019 NDMW of GHC 10.65.
Changes in the minimum wage are usually effected, pursuant to the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651) section 113 (1) (a) and the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921).
Meanwhile, the TUC also used its statement to reiterate a request for a top-up of the pension payments to retired public sector workers.
“We appeal to Government to ensure that no worker is worse-off no matter which year they retire. The government must bear the full responsibility of any shortfall in pension benefits until the benefits under Act 766 and PNDCL 247 are equated,” the TUC charged.