Leadership of the Civil and Local Government Staff Association of Ghana (CLOGSAG) has given indication of their support for the government’s ‘Ghana Beyond Aid’ agenda.
CLOGSAG admits that members of the Association, who form a critical part of the government machinery, have the responsibility to operationalize the policy direction needed to realise the vision.
Public Relations officer of CLOGSAG, Edmund Acquaye, in an interview with the Goldstreet Business on a wide range of issues, restated the obligation of civil and local government workers to the state by supporting every government to deliver on their vision irrespective of their personal political leaning.
“As a union, we support programmes that will inure to the benefit of all. With the vision of Ghana Beyond Aid, the workers of both services would work toward its achievement. It is for a better Ghana.”
As the world celebrates workers for their immense contribution to the global economy, organized labour in Ghana is highlighting the need for social partnership in the attainment of development goals.
A major challenge on the labour front has been the release of funds and operationalization of the 3-tier pension scheme.
Government, late last year, announced the release of pension funds held up in the Temporary Pension Fund Account (TPFA) at the Bank of Ghana to the custodial banks of the various public sector schemes.
Acquaye however reminded the relevant authorities of the need to resolve the issues around the credit due workers.
“For now, as labour unions, we are happy that we have seen daylight on the pensions. What we are looking at is the other issue that has to do with pass credits and 1 percent.”
The 1 percent is the difference arising out of the difference between 18.5 percent and 17.5 percent paid prior to the new pension scheme.
CLOGSAG also criticised the appointment of political personalities into positions in the civil service describing the practice as ‘not right’. Such appointments, the Association maintains, should be routed through the Civil Service Council and Heads of Civil and Local Government Service.
The PRO assured that the ‘whip’ would be allowed to work in the cases where the conduct of civil servants is brought to the table.
CLOGSAG, to this end is calling on stakeholders to make the welfare of workers a priority. The Association, to this end, has lashed out at institutions that have taken to employing people on contract in order to deny them their privileges under full employment.
“CLOGSAG does not support contract work, what we support is full time work so that realistic pay will be paid for realistic job done”, Acquaye stated.
He explained that the practice does not give enough remuneration for people to be able to pay their social security contributions as well as taxes to the state.
By Godfred Tawiah Gogo
