Decision not to pay workers without Ghana Card unfortunate – TUC

Labour unions in Ghana say they were not consulted in the decision by the Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD) to stop the salary payment of government workers if they do not possess a Ghana card by December 1.

The unions say even though the motive is good one, the timing is wrong since Accra and Kumasi are not the only cities that constitute Ghana.

They are therefore warning the Controller and Accountant General’s Department to halt such threats if it wants peace in this country.

The labour unions are not pleased with the directive by the Controller and Accountant General’s Department to stop the salary payment of government workers if they do not possess a Ghana card.

The Deputy Secretary-General of Trades Union Congress (TUC), Joshua Ansah, in an interview on 3FM’s Sunrise on Thursday said “it is very very unfortunate that the controller will sit and make such decision.

“The laws governing salaries must be respected and TUC says no no to it and we are calling the Controller to do the needful”, he told Sunrise Host, Alfred Ocansey on Thursday.

Mr. Ansah explained that “doing the needful means that all the stakeholders must be brought on board to decide on the issue because Accra and Kumasi is not only Ghana. We have remote areas”.

“I don’t want to believe it. They must do the needful by calling on the labour unions and talk about it because it is a good thing but wrong approach”.

The TUC Deputy scribe noted that “it must include all those who sit to deliberate on conditions of service but we were not consulted before the notice was put out”.

Mr. Ansah said the way forward for this is to put on hold the directives and call all the unions and deliberate on the issue.

“They don’t have to do anything that will mare the peace of this country. It is a god thing but the timing is wrong

Procedurally, they did not respect labour, either wise they are not going to do anything at the end of December.

Mr. Ansah urged workers not to sit but make the effort to register for the Ghana Card since it will definitely be used.

“Our workers must also do the registration”.

Deputy General Secretary of Federation of Labour Unions, Ken Koomson, also added that “the notice is just provocative. Salaries constitute a significant and important part of our conditions of service so employers must be very careful when dealing with salaries”.

He said “the rationale is purging the system of ghost names which is good but we were also not consulted”.

“This is an indictment on Ghanaians workers. It is unacceptable

Source: Kweku Antwi-Otoo|3news.com|Ghana