Agitations on the country's labour front are continuing following the implementation of the new public sector salary scheme, the Single Spine Salary Structure.

In March, teachers groups including the National Association  of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) embarked on an unannounced strike action as soon as they were migrated onto the Single Spine.

They claimed the implementation of the new salary structure had worsened their financial situation.  

In November last year, the Prison Service threatened to free criminals in the country's prisons following their migration onto the Single Spine, which they said had put them at a disadvantage.
The IMF has cautioned that Ghana's debt position would be unsustainable, should the government rush the implementation of the new salary scheme set to be fully in place by 2013.
According to Finance Minister, Kwabena Duffuor: "The Single Spine Salary Structure is a real challenge for the economy. It is indeed a legacy that we inherited and in as much as we are determined and committed to its implementation, we must manage it in such a way that it would not undermine the economy."

"We believe that if we renegotiate the implementation period to five years instead of three, the pressure on the economy will be bearable. So we need to talk to the leadership of labour to revert to the five-year period as had been proposed initially," Dr. Duffour said.