Go back to negotiation table
Industrial actions over demands by public workers for better salaries have become rife in the country.
The hardship in the country can easily blind people to support the demands for better salaries and allowances without giving particular attention to related issues, including legislation and even court rulings.
That is to say certain workers’ strikes need particular analysis for all the stakeholders to come to certain understanding, compromises and consensus before the issues can be resolved amicably.
Such appears to be the case of the Local Government Staff Association of Ghana (CLOGSAG) which is before the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC).
The FWSC had appealed to the CLOGSAG to reconsider its strike planned to begin yesterday and return to the negotiation table, but CLOGSAG did not heed the appeal.
Even before yesterday, the FWSC appeared scandalised by CLOGSAG’s intention and this scandalisation could be inferred from pronouncements from FWSC.
The FWSC says, for instance, that it is in an ongoing salary structure negotiations with CLOGSAG and that there were some disagreements over the terms of government workers’ compensation.
The FWSC added that both a committee and CLOGSAG committed to working toward a solution on July 12, 2024.
Judging from CLOGSAG’s action now, it is clear that the commitment was not upheld, yet the FWSC is describing CLOGSAG’s actions as being in “bad faith” because the government remains open to resolving CLOGSAG’s concerns through dialogue.
What prevented moves to start that dialogue until
CLOGSAG issued a notice on October 22, 2024, indicating plans to strike, citing frustration over a lack of concrete offers from the government? It is clear that it was CLOGSAG’s October 22 notice that prompted the October 30 meeting, at which the government presented an alternative proposal to address the demands, which CLOGSAG reportedly is yet to respond to, making the strike announcement unexpected.
The FWSC is now accusing the CLOGSAG of having bypassed its authority, instead of routing its demands through the Senior Presidential Advisor, a situation, the FWSC argues, contravenes the FWSC Act of 2007.
Besides, the Commission is citing a 2011 court ruling that barred CLOGSAG from opting out of the Single Spine Pay Policy, noting that CLOGSAG’s push for a separate salary structure may be an attempt to revisit that effort.
Whatever the issues are, The Ghanaian Times sees both the FWSC and CLOGSAG as not making the efforts to ensure peaceful resolution of the matter but it is not too late to make amends and take the right path.
The paper, however, wishes to honestly state that it deplores the instances of tense relations, as alluded to by the FWSC, in which CLOGSAG is accused of undermining FWSC’s Chief Executive, Benjamin Arthur, by refusing to attend meetings, verbally attacking him during discussions, and even calling for his dismissal.
Such attitude is a potential barrier to fruitful engagement for the resolution of the matter at stake.
The Ghanaian Times, therefore, hopes CLOGSAG would focus on issues rather than resorting to personal attacks, which would not help matters.
Meanwhile, since the FWSC, for that matter the government, is ready for dialogue, The Ghanaian Times appeals to CLOGSAG to end its strike and go back to the negotiation table for amicable resolution of the matter.
