The National Labour Commission (NLC) has ordered the Civil and Local Government Staff Association of Ghana (CLOGSAG) to call off its week-old strike over interim premium allowances.
According to the NLC, CLOGSAG failed to inform the Commission of their intention to strike a week prior to its commencement, as the law requires.
[contextly_sidebar id=”kmUsVsFgFWYlHvFnP4KSbcPbKh69Jqcl”]”If you read the provisions of the Labour Act, particularly Section 159 it’s very clear that when an trade union or an association, an employer’s organisation or an employer intends to embark on a strike action or a lockout for that matter, that union or employer ought to notify the National Labour Commission seven clear days to the date stated in the letter for the commencement of the action,” Executive Secretary of the NLC, Charles Bawa-Duah, told Citi News.
“Our records show that CLOGSAG failed to comply with this clear provision of the law and for that matter the Commission in exercise of the powers conferred on it by Section 139 of the Act notified CLOGSAG that the strike was illegal and subsequently ordered them to immediately call it off and go back to work.”
Mr. Bawa-Duah insisted that the Commission was committed to resolving the issues and will hear from both CLOGSAG and the Fair Wages Commission before making any decision on the matter.
“The Commission is also interested in dealing with the matter which has brought about the strike. The Commission can make any orders as regarding whether or not CLOGSAG and its members are entitled to be paid market premiums,” he said
“The Commission must hear CLOGSAG, who must justify why they think they are entitled to it and Fair Wages must also justify why they have not given the benefits and why CLOGSAG ought not be given the benefits. On the basis of those submissions, the Commission can make a determination and settle the matter.”
The striking workers say they will continue their nationwide strike until their demand for the payment of their interim premium allowances is met.
In an interview with Citi News, Public Relations Officer of CLOGSAG, Eddie Acquaye, stressed that the documents that show that these workers are due the allowances, are with the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations and the striking members are waiting for the Ministry and Fair Wages Commission to start using those documents as a basis to issue the premiums.
“We have declared a strike action. We have said that we should work with the documents that already prevail and you are refusing to work with those documents. Because if we have sat down several times and we have proven that we deserve these demands, I don’t understand why they are saying that we don’t,” he told Citi News.
By: Edwin Kwakofi/citifmonline.com/Ghana