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Minimum wage that cannot take the worker anywhere!
The National Tripartite Committee (NTC) recently announced an increase in the national daily minimum wage to GHc 12.53 which represents a four per cent increment on the 2020 figure of GHc 11.82. The increment followed a conclusion of negotiations on the determination of the National Daily Minimum Wage in respect of 2021 and 2022 at its meeting held on Thursday, June 3, 2021, in Accra.
The determination of the national minimum wage is in accordance with Section 113 (1) (a) of the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651).
NATIONAL MINIMUM WAGE
At the end of that meeting, it was also agreed that for the year 2022, the national daily minimum wage would be pegged at GHc 13.53, a seven per cent increment on the 2021 figure.
The reason assigned to the current figures was that the NTC took into account the COVID-19 pandemic and its attendant hardships that strongly influenced the percentage increases in the salary adjustments.
“In determining the new rates, the NTC took into account the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the national economy, cost of living, sustainability of businesses and the desirability of attaining high level of employment,” it stated.The national minimum wage rate for 2021 which is tax exempt took effect from June 4, 2021.
DON’T USE COVID-19 AS AN EXCUSE
The Trades Union Congress (TUC), had early on, asked the government to stop using COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse and review the salaries of the workers upwards to help them deal with the recent economic hardships in the country.
Organised labour argument is that the recent fuel increments, coupled with the skyrocketing prices of goods and services, are taking a toll on the Ghanaian worker. They have pleaded with government to review workers’ salaries, as well as taxes to reduce their financial burden.
Indeed, times are hard and workers are justifiably right in asking for salary increases that will stand the test of time and support them to make ends meet with their families and other dependants. You cannot begrudge them. The workers are, indeed, not happy with the TUC for their stance in the recent salary negotiations, accusing the union of stabbing them at the back.
GLOBAL EMERGENCE OF MINIMUM WAGE
For the benefit of my readers and patrons, it is important to delve a bit into history of how this minimum wage came into being globally, vis- a- vis how some countries have managed to make their workers better using the National Minimum Wage formula.
The minimum wage concept was first introduced in New Zealand in 1984 and the Austrian State of Victoria in 1986. The motivation was to fight poverty among the working class, particularly the segment of the workers that was not covered by collective agreements and was vulnerable to low pay conditions. By close of 2016, about 160 economies of 189, had a minimum wage. Countries with national minimum wage include, United States of America (USA), South Korea, Spain, Portugal, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Benin, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso among others.
THE WORK OF THE TRIPARTITE COMMITTEE
Over here in Ghana, the annual fixing of the minimum wage lies in the bosom of the Tripartite Committee made up of the government, employer and the worker. The committee is headed by the Minister of Employment and Social Welfare. The committee is established under section 112 of the Labour Law, Act 651 of 2003. Its core mandate is to review and adjust the minimum wage in line with the changes in the economic and social circumstances of the country including changes in the cost of living. This ensures that the minimum wage stays closer to the economic and social realities of the country. The minimum wage covers workers in all sectors of the economy.
It is unfortunate that despite annual adjustment, Ghana’s minimum wage is normally very low wage. The minimum wage has remained around US$ 2.00 a day for the past decade. It is also significant to note that increases in the minimum wage have always been below inflation rate and that has often led to decreases in real minimum wage.
It appears that the national institutions that have the mandate to enforce the minimum wage and other labour legislations are too weak to carry out their duties.
SIGNIFICANCE OF MINIMUM WAGE INTRODUCTION
When the minimum wage was introduced in the country in 1939, the major objective was to fight poverty among the working class. It was to ensure that people working on full time basis, could earn enough to enable them and their families to escape poverty. Thus, minimum wage increases are aimed at motivating workers to raise their effort levels and spur greater investments in human capital as well as boosting labour productivity.
Another major weakness in Ghana’s minimum wage is the lack of enforcement. This has resulted in high level of non-compliance. Enforcement is hampered by the failure of the state to resource the industrial relations institutions that are mandated to enforce the minimum wage and other labour legislations.
REPORTS OF ARTICLE 71 OFFICE HOLDERS EARNING FAT SALARIES
Currently there are allegations that while the average workers are being asked to tighten their belt by receiving as low as six per cent increment in their 2020 salaries for this year, Article 71 office holders who include the President and his Vice, the Speaker of Parliament, the Chief Justice and the Justices of the Supreme Court, Members of Parliament, Ministers of State, political appointees and public servants, are paying themselves fat salaries at the blind side of the workers. If that is the case as being peddled on social media, then that is most unfortunate and not healthy for this country.
The Tripartite Committee which sat and arrived at the six per cent increment use the COVID-19 pandemic which has affected the economy greatly as a yardstick for fixing the percentage increase and, therefore, that should be the overriding principle in the determination of the general salaries for this country. Besides, the Executive and ministers of state and other government functionaries are already earning good salaries with other service conditions that go with them. Therefore, giving themselves more salaries is not in the best interest of a country such as Ghana which is facing a lot of challenges with the economy.
FREEZE ON SALARY INCREMENTS FOR EXECUTIVE, OTHERS
The President must give true meaning to his recent announcement that he has put a freeze on salary increments for himself, the Vice President, ministers of state and all other appointees of the Executive as a way of appreciating the plight of Ghanaians in the wake of the negative economic impact of the pandemic.
Indeed, the workers are suffering and the recent four per cent increase in their salaries is nothing good to sustain them, especially when most of them have other dependants and families to cater for. This is the time for the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and other organised labour unions to team up and fight for the rights of workers. Money being spent aimlessly on unnecessary projects at this point in time needs to be channeled to improve the welfare of workers who are toiling day and night with their sweat to build this nation.
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By: Charles Neequaye
Today, I focus on the Apostolic Church International in Finland, as I continue with my description of institutions and personalities and their accomplishments as members of the Ghanaian Diaspora in Finland.
The Apostolic Church International, Finland (or, Apostolic International Association Ry) was established in October 9, 2023. The Church in Finland has seen significant strides and accomplishments within the short time that it has been established in Finland, which must be highlighted.
History of the Church in Ghana
The Apostolic Church Ghana originated from the 1904–1905 Welsh revival, officially established in Ghana (then called Gold Coast) in 1935 following connections between a local prayer group in Asamankese (a town in southern Ghana), led by Peter Newman Anim, and the Apostolic Church, UK. There were historical splits in 1939 and 1953, but the Apostolic Church attained autonomy in 1985.
Today, the Church is headquartered in Accra. Last year (2025), it dedicated its new 10-storey headquarters, “The Apostolic Church Tower,” in Frafraha, Adenta West in Accra.
Activities of the Apostolic Church in Finland
The Apostolic Church in Finland conducts church service on Sundays. The service starts at 11a.m. in the morning and closes by 1 p.m. in the afternoon. There are no other activities during other days for now.
The Minister in charge of the church in Finland is also the Area Head of Italy Area. He is Pastor Daniel Kofi Addison who is the new Italy Area Head, and has just been transferred from UK South Area to Italy Area during the just-ended Council Meeting in March this year. Italy Area comprises Italy, which has 13 Assemblies, Germany, one Assembly, and Finland, one Assembly.
Elder Ebenezer Amoaning-Coffie is the Presiding Elder in charge of the Assembly in Finland. A Presiding Elder is responsible for day to day activities of the church (Assembly) and reports to the District Pastor, or in the absence of the District Pastor, reports to the Area Head.
Achievements
The Apostolic Church International, Finland was officially registered under the Finnish Law, guaranteeing freedom of worship and providing legal foundation for future growth. The church service is conducted in both English and Twi.
The church opens its doors to all people of every nation, especially Ghanaians who are in Finland and other African nationals. Now, the membership comprises Ghanaians, Nigerians and Sierra Leoneans.
The Church and the Ghanaian migrant community in Finland
The Apostolic Church in Finland plays a prominent role as a religious group that serves Ghanaian migrants and others in the Finnish society.
Thus, the Apostolic Church is a religious body for Ghanaian migrants in Finland and other nationalities who want to worship with them for diversity and better intercultural and multicultural understanding.
Elder Amoaning-Coffie said that the main and primary aim of the church is to bring people closer to God. “We aim to win souls for Christ. We aim to preach the gospel to the world. By propagating the gospel to the people, we are hopeful that they will turn away from any ungodly ways and be good individuals in the community and in society in general”, he stated.
He said that everything is going well so far. A key challenge, however, is how to get more members especially the youth. As a new Assembly, we are in need of instrumentalists, for example. We pray to God Almighty to help us do His work, the Elder disclosed.
Integration
By its activities, the Apostolic Church is helping to ensure integration of its members well into the Finish society. This is important since social interaction and citizens’ well-being are an important part of the integration process in Finland.
As I mentioned some time ago, the role of migrant associations and groups such as the Apostolic Church acting as bridge-builders for the integration and inclusion of migrants through participation in the decision making process and by acting as a representative voice is highly appreciated in Finland. Thank you!
With Dr Perpetual Crentsil
The landscape of the Ghanaian palate is shifting, and not necessarily for the better. In our bustling urban centres, from the streets of Accra to the suburbs of Kumasi, a quiet culinary revolution is taking place; one where the mortar and pestle are being replaced by the pizza oven and the deep fryer. This transition from traditional staple foods like fufu, banku, akple, kenkey, tuo zaafi, and ampesi toward “continental” dishes is more than just a change in appetite; it is a reflection of a deeper social struggle with identity and prestige.
The illusion of modernity
For many, “stepping out” for a meal has become synonymous with consuming foreign cuisine. There is an unspoken social hierarchy where a bowl of Abunuabunu is relegated to the village category, while burgers, pizzas are branded as prestigious choices. We have reached a stage where we equate foreign with modern and local with primitive.
This perception is a dangerous illusion. Our traditional dishes are marvels of culinary engineering complex, nutrient-dense, and deeply rooted in our history. When we choose a processed foreign import over a meal made from local tubers or fermented maize, we are not just changing our lunch; we are eroding the indigenous knowledge attached to our local ingredients and foods.
We need to turn the consumption of indigenous grains and tubers like millet, sorghum, and plantain into a statement of self-worth and national pride.
The cultural and health erosion
Every time a local dish disappears from a restaurant menu to make room for foreign fast food, we lose a piece of our cultural fabric. Traditional Ghanaian cooking is an art that requires patience and skill. By choosing the convenience of foreign fast food, we are raising a generation that may know the taste of a pepperoni pizza but cannot identify the rich, earthy profile of Prekese or the subtle tang of well-fermented dough dishes like corn porridge, banku, etew, abolo, agidi or kamfa, and kenkey.
Furthermore, we are at the crossroads of a nutrition transition. Replacing high-fiber, indigenous crops with calorie-dense but nutrient-poor foreign fast foods is driving a rise in lifestyle diseases such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, stroke, cancer, and liver disease. We are trading our longevity for 15-minutes convenience or unhealthy diet.
A call for culinary patriotism
It is time for us to appreciate, preserve, and promote our indigenous foods and culinary traditions. We need to be proud of our local dishes, ingredients and cooking methods, rather than relying heavily on foreign or imported foods. We must stop viewing our local delicacies as low-class and start treating our culinary heritage as the high-end gastronomy it truly is.
True sophistication does not come from imitating Western fast food; it comes from innovation and adding values to our own resources. We see glimpses of this potential in the rise of branded Sobolo and the creative use of gluten-free plantain flour in modern baking of flour-based dishes such as bread, cakes, biscuits and others. This is the path forward. We must elevate our local dishes, making them as accessible, affordable, presentable and trendy as any foreign alternative.
To the hospitality industry: Innovate or stagnate
Our hotels and high-end restaurants must lead the charge. They must stop relegating local dishes to the “traditional corner” of the buffet, and apply the same culinary finesse given to imported dishes to our Fante Fante, apapransa, aborbi tadi, fetritoto, akple, abolo, yakayeke, fufu, ampesi, kokonte, wasawasa, tubani, apapransa, mpotompoto, kelewele, aliha, brukutu, pito, and other local dishes. The industry must enhance customer experiences making eating local dishes the ultimate luxury experience for both tourists and residents alike. We must elevate the presentation of our foods by using modern plating techniques to show that a bowl of light soup can be as visually stunning as a French consommé. We need to reclaim our Ghanaian plate before it is too late.
To the policy makers: Let us encourage buying of local ingredients to promote the local food industry and economy. There should be educational programmes and talks about the nutritional and cultural benefits of local foods so that people understand their value.
We need to encourage serving traditional dishes at school programmes, parties, and celebrations instead of only fast foods,
To the Youth: Let us value and appreciate our traditional dishes instead of always choosing foreign foods. There must be balance in our choice of local and foreign dishes. Confidence in our culture encourages others to respect it too. Our local dishes can also be promoted by sharing pictures, recipes, and videos on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp to make them attractive and trendy.
Young citizens must learn from their parents and elders how to prepare local meals to keep the knowledge and cultural relevance alive. Local dishes can be modernised to appeal to younger generations and tourists.
Conclusion
We cannot afford to trade our heritage for foreign cuisines which are gaining grounds across the country at an alarming rate. We must disabuse our minds of the perception that anything foreign or imported is better than those locally made. Our health, economy, and identity are tied to the soil. It is time to stop apologising for our local flavours and start celebrating them. It is possible to embrace modernity without losing ourselves and our cultural identity. Let us make the Ghanaian kitchen the heart of our modern identity once again.
By: Marilyn Gadogbe
