Government drops neutrality allowance

Deputy Finance Minister, Abena Osei-Asare, has stated that the government is working to implement the agreements in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Civil and Local Government Staff Association of Ghana (CLOGSAG).

The Minister stated that the controversial “neutrality allowance” being demanded has been dropped.

Speaking in a JoyNews interview with JoyNews, the minister noted that all agreements will be honoured beginning January 2023 to help improve the conditions of service for CLOGSAG members.

“Government has reached an agreement with CLOGSAG and we will go ahead to implement everything that has been stipulated in the MoU. We don’t have the Neutrality Allowance as I speak with you.”

“But all the other issues that have been raised in the MoU, the government will make sure it fulfils its part of it and then make sure that whatever it is, we’ll implement their conditions of service in January 2023 as stipulated in the MoU,” she said.

A committee has however been set to ensure that the agreements are fulfilled before the 2023 budget.

“All the other unions do have conditions of service but CLOGSAG hasn’t gotten one and that is important to them. So, that is what we have set up a committee to look at and make sure that they complete it before we send the 2023 budget to Parliament in November.”

“It includes almost everything they talk about, including their allowances and all the other things. We hope that with the support we have received now, all the stakeholders involved will work and make sure we meet the deadline, so that we can take to Parliament for implementation to begin in January 2023.”

After several negotiations with government, CLOGSAG’s strike has been called off as workers have been directed to resume work on Monday, May 16, 2022.

Executive secretary of CLOGSAG, Dr. Isaac Bampoe-Addo who made the announcement at a press conference on Thursday, May 12, 2022, said, “the National Executive Council of the Civil and Local Government Staff Association, Ghana (CLOGSAG) has decided to call off the nationwide strike by its members.”

“The rationale to step down the industrial action was based on the fact that the demand from the Ministry of Finance to direct the Controller and Accountant General’s Department to effect payment of the agreed allowance, has been met on 11th May 2022.”