Austin Gamey is a labour expert
Labour expert Austin Gamey has described Ghana’s Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS) as outdated and ill-suited to the demands of modern governance, calling for its replacement with a productivity-based remuneration system for public sector workers.
Speaking in an interview on Class 91.3 FM, Mr. Gamey argued that the Single Spine model no longer reflects the realities of a 21st-century economy and has outlived its usefulness.
He said Ghana’s participation in a competitive global economy makes it untenable to maintain a system that, in his view, rewards workers without adequately linking pay to performance.
According to him, remuneration in the public sector must be tied to measurable productivity rather than seniority or rigid structures.
He described the current salary regime as an anachronism that fails to meet both the aspirations of workers and the efficiency demands of contemporary governance.
Mr. Gamey urged policymakers to move away from preserving the form or name of the Single Spine Salary Structure and instead focus on designing a modern, comprehensive pay framework.
He proposed the adoption of a broadband salary structure that accommodates all categories of workers while streamlining or eliminating what he described as excessive and often unjustified allowances embedded in the current system.
While stressing that public sector workers deserve fair and competitive compensation, he maintained that salaries must be based on clear productivity benchmarks.
He said a transparent and performance-driven pay system would boost worker motivation, improve efficiency, and reduce the frequent labour agitations associated with public sector wage disputes.
His comments come amid renewed debate over public sector pay reforms, following President John Dramani Mahama’s pledge to review the Single Spine Salary Structure as well as the country’s pensions system. The President made the commitment during the 54th National Delegates Congress of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) in Accra.
President Mahama acknowledged widespread dissatisfaction with the current salary regime, noting that although the Single Spine was introduced under former President John Agyekum Kufuor to promote fairness and transparency, its implementation has not met expectations.
He assured public sector workers that his administration is committed to reforms that will address longstanding concerns and align compensation with modern economic realities.
