FWSC assures workers of protection for lawful collective bargaining under IPEC reforms

Accra, Oct. 14, GNA – The Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) has assured organised labour that the proposed Independent Public Emoluments Commission (IPEC) reforms will preserve lawful collective bargaining agreements. 

Dr George Smith-Graham, Chief Executive Officer of the FWSC, said the proposed reforms would maintain the role of workers and their representatives in negotiations affecting their livelihoods. 

“The draft reform preserves lawful collective bargaining,” he said at a two-day media training programme in Accra on Tuesday. 

Collective bargaining is the process through which employers and workers’ representatives, usually trade unions, negotiate employment conditions, including salaries, allowances, benefits and other workplace arrangements. 

Dr Smith-Graham said the proposed IPEC framework would make negotiations more predictable through reliable data, transparent parameters and proper assessments of affordability, while balancing workers’ needs with the Government’s ability to sustain its financial commitments. 

The training, on the theme: “Building Media Capacity for Accurate and Responsible Reporting on the FWSC–IPEC Transition and Public Sector Pay Reforms,” seeks to equip journalists with the knowledge to report accurately on the proposed reforms and public sector compensation. 

Dr Smith-Graham said IPEC was intended to establish a stronger national framework for determining, reviewing, certifying, monitoring and reporting on public sector remuneration, including that of covered State-owned enterprises. 

He said the proposed framework would consider the full remuneration package, including basic salaries, allowances, benefits and other financial rewards, rather than focusing solely on basic salaries. 

It would also introduce common standards for job evaluation, grading, salary structures and pay bands to address disparities arising from fragmented compensation arrangements. 

Dr Smith-Graham noted, however, that a unified remuneration framework would not mean identical salaries for all public sector workers, as differences in responsibilities, skills, risks and working conditions could justify varying pay levels. 

He said the proposed Commission would also strengthen transparency and accountability through a National Emoluments Register, research, compliance reviews and published reports. 

On its independence, he said the institution would require appropriate appointment arrangements, tenure safeguards, adequate resources and professional competence, while remaining accountable through parliamentary oversight, audits and judicial review. 

He cautioned that establishing IPEC would not automatically cancel existing allowances or confer powers on the Commission before the relevant laws came into force. 

The transition roadmap includes stakeholder consultations, the preparation and passage of the IPEC Bill, and the development of policies and systems required to operationalise the new framework. 

These include a National Emoluments Policy, a National Negotiations Policy, a new grading and pay structure, and a performance-based pay policy. 

The roadmap also envisages establishing IPEC as a constitutional body through the prescribed constitutional process. 

A subsequent phase would consider bringing Article 71 office holders under its remit through the appropriate constitutional amendment process, including a national referendum. 

Dr Smith-Graham said the proposed initial binding mandate would cover public institutions and covered State-owned enterprises, excluding Article 71 office holders at that stage. 

Madam Emelia Ennin, Head of Public Affairs at the FWSC, said the training was intended to deepen journalists’ understanding of public sector pay negotiations and address misconceptions surrounding the transition. 

She said improved access to credible information would strengthen media reporting and public understanding of the proposed reforms.