The National Executive Council (NEC) of Civil and Local Government Association of Ghana (CLOGSAG), has agreed to call off its ongoing nationwide strike with immediate effect.
Contained in a statement signed by its Executive Secretary, Isaac Bampoe Addo, it revealed that a meeting held today, Thursday January 20, 2022, reviewed the Memorandum of Understanding between the government and CLOGSAG.
Mr Addo underscored that “all members should organize themselves and resume work on Monday, 24th January, 2022”.
“We are grateful to all our members for their support and the print and electronic media for the coverage of our activities”.
Isaac Bampoe Addo
Prior to calling off its strike, government had listened to the Association’s plea and settled some of its demands which resulted in their strike. The Fair Wages and Salary Commission on Thursday, 20th January, 2022 stated that the decision was taken after a meeting with the government on Wednesday.
“Yesterday the government reached an agreement with the leadership of the Civil and Local Government Service Association, Ghana (CLOGSAG) which culminated in the signing of an MOU. The agreement granted some aspects of demands concerning their conditions of service with others being work in progress”.
FWSC
In that same MoU, the Commission noted that CLOGSAG, on the basis of the agreement committed to “calling off the nationwide strike” with immediate effect.
Following its strike action today, it was observed that the move left some individuals seeking some government services stranded. Business owners who visited the Registrar General’s Department were left frustrated with no one to attend to them due to the strike.
CLOGSAG demands better working conditions
The Civil and Local Government Staff Association of Ghana commenced its strike today, Thursday, January 20, 2022. It claimed the condition of service for its members had been ignored over the years and that its leaders could no longer hold the pressure from members to declare a strike action, which they reckoned was long overdue.
CLOGSAG expressed that its unique conditions of service was informed by Article 94(3) (b) of the 1992 Constitution, which prohibited civil servants from participating in active political activities.
Executive Secretary of CLOGSAG, Dr Isaac Bampoe Addo, in December last year, explained that all other services had an enhanced salary structure apart from the civil service. Elaborating on the challenges of the Association, Mr Addo intimated that what was proposed by CLOGSAG before the joint meeting of the Local Government Service Council and the Civil Service Council was based on what was happening in other services.
According to Mr Addo, the Association arrived at its salary structure based on what others also have and presented it to the joint meeting, which was accepted. Following this, he noted that the proposed salary structure went before cabinet, which directed the matter to be dealt with.
A labour expert, Seth Abloso, commenting on the issue intimated that the looming strike by CLOGSAG must be attributed to government’s lack of action. He indicated that despite his inability to justify the Association’s quest to strike, their concerns need to be appreciated as civil servants are among the lowest paid in this country.
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