The Trades Union Congress (TUC) said the offices of First and Second Ladies have not been properly defined under the governance structure of the country thus cannot support any payment of emolument to them.
A statement from TUC and in possession of Mynewsafric.com explained that Article 71 office holders and all jobholders in the public service, including presidential staffers, have been assigned official duties and responsibilities.
It said the spouses of presidents and vice presidents have not been officially assigned any such duties and responsibilities under the Article 71 office holders therefore are not qualified to receive salaries from the public purse.
“Ghanaians appreciate what the first and second ladies are doing to support women’s rights, children’s rights, and other noble initiatives towards social and economic development of our country. But neither the Constitution of Ghana nor the laws of the land assign them any official duties and responsibilities”.
“Therefore, the Trades Union Congress cannot support the payment of salaries to the spouses of presidents and vice presidents, even if the Ntiamoa-Baidu’s Committee recommended the payment of such salaries. It is simply not right for anyone who has not been officially assigned duties and responsibilities in the public service to receive monthly salaries”.
The statement signed by the Secretary General Dr. Yaw Baah also advised the President to initiate a process towards the establishment of a Committee/Commission made up of experts from various fields to advise government on salaries for all jobholders in the entire public service to ensure fairness.
The current system appears to favour politicians at the expense of other jobholders in the larger public service in terms of salaries, allowances and other job-related privileges, the statement stressed.
“Under no circumstance should sections of the public service have unfair advantage over others in the same public service. The wrongs that have been perpetuated over nearly past three decades at the blind side of Ghanaian taxpayers must stop now”.
