CLOGSAG wants Deputy Employment Minister removed

Civil and Local Government Staff Association (CLOGSAG) has called for the resignation or removal of its sector Deputy Minister from office, saying he has not been useful to the Ministry.

Mr Antwi Boasiko-Sekyere, Deputy Minister for Employment and Labour Relations, has also been accused of threatening CLOGSAG members who are legitimately on strike.

“We think he should be more worried about his inability to produce any report having chaired meetings on issues related to migration of members”.

Mr Isaac Bampoe Addo, Executive Secretary of CLOSGAG, who said this at a press conference in Accra, said the Association was utterly dismayed at utterances made by the Deputy Minister on both radio and television and that it was evident that he had little appreciation of the content of the former sector Minister report on payment of premium to staff of CLOGSAG issued in April 2012.

CLOGSAG said the Deputy Minister also being part of a meeting that set up the inter-ministerial committee on premium to their members was expected to explain delays in the implementation of the report triggers by his superior.

They found it rather strange that the Deputy Minister was pretending not to be aware of events leading to the strike action.

“It is therefore unattainable for the Deputy Minister to throw dust into the eyes of the public by telling the whole world that CLOGSAG has refused to be part of an arbitration process when he know that it was the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) that withdrew from the voluntarily arbitration process via their letter number FWSC/D/SCR.25/VOL.4A/54 of September 10, 2013”

Mr Addo said it was not surprising that his tenure of office since 2009 has not found solution to the numerous strike actions and noted that he has no moral right to threaten CLOGSAG staff.

He said though the Ministry should not be used for propaganda, the actions of the Deputy Minister have tarnished the reputation of the Ministry and advised him to present the facts in truth and honesty.

CLOGSAG urged its members to remain resolute and that the strike continues unabated.

CLOGSAG on October 14th embarked on a nationwide strike action following what they termed as the failure of Government to pay them some allowances.

The Director of Welfare and Projects of CLOGSAG, Benjamin Agyare justified the action by saying that it was not outside the Labour Act and therefore the strike was legal.

“The strike is going to be a knockout; our members are expected to be in their homes but we are going according to the rules in the Labour Act,” he said.

Source: GNA