A Cross-Section of public sector workers have expressed dissatisfaction over the 10 per cent increment in the national minimum wage.
The national wage was increased from GH¢13.53 to GH¢14.88 and its implementation is expected to take effect in January 2023.
According to the workers, the new increment was woefully inadequate and would worsen the existing plights of workers considering the rising cost of living, inflation and the cedi depreciation.
“We have been taken for granted for so long. The increment is just inconsiderate. The new wage, GH¢14.88 is equivalent to a US dollar for a whole day,”Ivy Oti-Padmore at New Bortianor told the Ghanaian Times in an interview in Accra yesterday.
“How do you pay a person GH¢14 for eight hours or more daily? Considering the current state of prices including rent? When are they going to have a meeting on rent as well? How much do kids even take to school in the morning alone,” she added.
Mr Bismark Adigbo said it was no good news as most businesses were struggling, adding that “people want to even shut down.”
“High taxation, high cost of living, high unemployment rate, low industrialisation, most ventures are owned by individuals so it really doesn’t change anything
You don’t increase minimum wage when the business owners are not ready to even employ because they themselves are struggling,” he added.
Ms Priscilla Gyiwa said the increment was “absolute thievery” as producer and consumer inflation had increased averagely more than 50 per cent in the last six months.
“Look at the state the country is in now and minimum wage is GH¢14.88, what can you do with that, nothing,” she added.
Mr Dennis Attuquayefio said the national minimum wage for 2022 was GH¢13.53 and the exchange rate in January 2022 was GH¢6.22 per dollar.
“Now in November, 2022, exchange rate is GH¢14.50 which is expecting astronomical increase by 2023 yet the national minimum wage is set at GH¢14.88. It means that Ghanaian worker should expect more hardship in 2023,” he added.
Adwubi Asante said Ghanaians were suffering that was why we were unable to stamp out corruption as a country.
She said people would go any length to survive or make ends meet, adding that “workers should be given better wages to cushion them.”
It would be recalled that the government on Wednesday announced the new minimum wage for workers in Ghana as GH¢14.88.
The new wage shows a GH¢1.35 increase from GH¢13.53 minimum wage in 2022.
The Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Ignatius Baffour-Awuah announced at a press conference that, the new wage was as a result of negotiation of the National Tripartite Committee (NTC) made of the government, organised labour and employers agreed on the new wage.
The Committee was said to have taken into account the current economic challenges, cost of living, sustainability of business and desirability of attaining high level of employment.
All establishment, institutions and organisations were urged to adjust to the new wage accordingly.
BY ANITA NYARKO-YIRENKYI
