The Public Sector Reform Unit is reportedly in the mood to set up the proposed establishment of a Wages and Compensation Commission (WCC) with the aim of ensuring pay harmonisation and rationalisation for the entire public sector. In the eastern region, a day’s regional consultation on the development of rules of engagement and communications strategy for the proposed commission took place at Rendezvous Hall in Kenema.
The consultative conference looked at salaries and pensions for the three arms of government – Executive, Judiciary and Legislature, and provided guidelines on pay for state owned enterprises. The establishment of the commission is not aimed at salary increase, but once established and jobs are evaluated and graded, it may result to a general salary increase or decrease based on grades.
The head of program, Public Sector Reform Unit, Raymond Bob Katta, said they wanted stakeholders to clearly understand the core objectives of the wages and compensation strategy and rules of engagement for negotiations, thereby understanding some of the commission’s activities. At the end of the two day session, the people of the region expressed happiness about the government led initiative hoping that it would lead to an avenue for their wages to be harmonised and fairness in the process.
Some called for more active citizen participation in the process, and for the Labour Congress to engage them from the labour point of view.
They wanted to know how the commission intends to deal with issues concerning experience and qualification among others. The consultant, however, said WCC would not only fight for pay increases but also remove the distortion in the salary scale.
By Saffa B. Moriba in Kenema