Accra, Nov. 6, GNA- The Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) has urged the Civil and Local Government Staff Association of Ghana (CLOSGAG) to rescind its decision to embark on the strike action.
The Commission advised CLOGSAG to return to the negotiating table for a timely resolution of their concerns.
This was in a statement signed by Mrs Emelia Ennin, Head of Public Affairs, FWSC, and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra.
The attention of FWSC has been drawn to a press release issued on November 4, 2024, by the CLOSGAG, indicating their intention to embark on a nationwide strike effective Thursday, November 7, 2024.
In response to the intended strike, the Commission said the demand by CLOGSAG for a new salary structure and other conditions of service was initially submitted to the Office of the Senior Presidential Advisor by the leadership of CLOGSAG for consideration and approval.
It must be noted that in a communique dated July 12, 2024, issued by CLOGSAG, the Executive Secretary of CLOGSAG indicated that “the parties showed commitment towards the resolution
of pertinent issues relating to the salary structure for the Staff of the Civil Service and the Local Government Service.”
“The government has been exploring alternative ways of addressing the demand for a new salary structure by CLOGSAG that will not injure the existing pay policy.
“Government is mindful of the principles governing the negotiation of base pay and the High Court ruling entitled “Civil and Local Government Staff Association of Ghana Vrs National Labour Commission and Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (Suit No. HRCM.76/11) delivered on April 22, 2011,” which barred CLOGSAG from opting out of the Single Spine Pay Policy,” he said.
The statement said, CLOGSAG had at all material times sought to ignore the authority of Mr Benjamin Arthur, the Chief Executive of the FWSC, including walking out of scheduled meetings without provocations, verbal attacks during meetings, and calling for his dismissals.
These attitudes of CLOGSAG towards the FWSC and its Chief Executive, the statement said, were an affront to the state institution mandated to manage the government pay policy.
“For CLOGSAG to indicate in its Press Release that it “has decided to have nothing to do with the Chief Executive of FWSC” amounts to bad faith when the Chief Executive has made several attempts to engage CLOGSAG but they have decided to ignore him,” it said.
The statement emphasised that the government was prepared to engage CLOGSAG in finding a lasting solution to its demands without undermining the principles underpinning the Single Spine Pay Policy.
GNA