By Edzorna Francis Mensah
The Civil and Local Government Staff Association, Ghana, (CLOGSAG) through its Council has declared a strike effective Thursday, 20th January 2022 over salary structure and conditions of service.
A letter dated on 22nd December 2021 and signed by the Executive Secretary, Isaac Bampoe Addo to all Regional Secretaries stated that “CLOGSAG is of the opinion that its members deserve a salary structure and conditions of service comparable to those enjoyed by these other Services; For almost two years the Ministry of Finance is yet to give comments on our proposal”.
According to CLOGSAG, they have presented proposals on conditions of service to a Joint meeting of the Civil Service Council and the Local Government Service Council. The two Councils accepted the Proposals and it was presented to the Senior Minister, now Senior Presidential Advisor as directed by Cabinet and that, “a committee was formed made up of the Senior Minister, Finance Ministry, Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations, Head of Civil Service, Head of Local Government Service, Fair Wages, and Salaries Commission and CLOGSAG; It was agreed at the Committee meeting that the Proposal was forwarded to the Ministry of Finance for their comments”.
CLOGSAG has been negotiating Conditions of Service for the staff of the Local Government Service and the Civil Service since 2019.
The unique Conditions of Service for constituents of CLOGSAG is borne out of the fact that Article 94(3) (b) of the 1992 Constitutions debars civil servants (Inclusive of the Local Government Staff) from participating in active political activities.
It is important to note that the institutions whose members are restrained from participating in partisan politics have distinct and enhanced salary structures and other conditions of service.
The Association finds the undue delay in finalizing negotiation on the Conditions of Service for CLOGSAG members worrying and unacceptable.
CLOGSAG can no longer hold on the pressure and had to declare strike which is long overdue. National Executive Council (NEC) took this decision having noted the following:
Article 94(3)(b) of the 1992 Constitution excluded certain Public Services including the Civil Service from participating in partisan activities as it noted that “these services apart from the Civil Service are not on the Single Spine Salary Structure but are enjoying Distinct and Enhanced Salary Structures and other conditions of service”.
