Kadjebi (O/R), April 8, GNA-Oti Regional Executives of the Civil and Local Government Staff Association, Ghana (CLOGSAG) have updated Kadjebi District members of the Association on the 20 per cent neutrality allowance.
Five correspondences on the payment of the allowance which takes retrospective effect from January 2022 have been issued to the Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD).
Failure to effect payment by April 20, 2022, would call for strike action on April 21.
Mr Geoffrey Dedeva Akudey, the Oti Acting Regional Chairman of CLOGSAG disclosed this at a meeting with CLOGSAG members at Kadjebi in the Oti Region.
Engaging the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Mr Akudey said upon negotiation, the government agreed to pay CLOGSAG members a neutrality allowance of 20 per cent which was supposed to be paid in March 2022 but was not.
He said per Article 94 clause 3 (b) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, Civil Servants inclusive of the Local Government Staff were barred from participating in active political party activities.
The CLOGSAG Regional Chairman said it was important to note that the institutions whose members were restrained from partaking in active partisan politics had distinct and enhanced salary structures and other Conditions of Service, hence their demand which was granted.
Mr Akude advised members to keep with the Executives since they were working hard to improve their Conditions of Service as the Association had been given the sole bargaining power to do so.
He said although information flow had not been the best, they were working to improve it via social media platform handles and the use of the traditional media platforms.
Mr Akude said CLOGSAG Instant Loan and Fund had also been instituted as a way of improving the living conditions of members and that plans were far advanced to acquire land at Nkwanta and Dambai for members acquisition.
Mr Emmanuel Doe, the Kadjebi CLOGSAG Chairman admonished members to remain calm, law-abiding, dedicated to duty, be punctual to work and eschew laziness even in the face of social and economic challenges.
Mr Doe said fifteen members of the Association’s name were deleted from the Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD) portal, but with dedication and arduous work, they were reinstated.
Mr Alhassan Sulemana, the Kadjebi District Co-ordinating Director, asked the CLOGSAG Regional Executives to convey their grievances to the National hierarchy for action.
He urged CLOGSAG members in the district to chart consciously because they were essential workers.
Members of the Association at the end of the meeting unanimously resolved that their 20 per cent neutrality allowance be paid in full and that the National Secretariat’s plan to use 5 per cent for Tier Third be abandoned completely.
GNA