FWSC Clarifies CLOGSAG Concerns, Calls For Dialogue

The Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) has clarified concerns raised by the Civil and Local Government Staff Association of Ghana (CLOGSAG) over the migration of approximately 900 members onto the Ghana Technical and Vocational Education and Training (GTVET) Service Salary Structure without their consent.

According to the FWSC in a letter dated October 11, 2023, GTVET submitted a new Scheme of Service and requested the FWSC to develop and migrate its staff onto a new Single Spine Grade Structure.

This request followed the passage of the Pre-Tertiary Education Act, 2020 (Act 1049), which amalgamated all Pre-Tertiary Technical and Vocational Education and Training institutions, including CLOGSAG-affiliated entities, into the GTVET Service.

“Some of the CLOGSAG-affiliated entities are Social Welfare Institutes, Community Development Vocational-Technical Institutes and Government Technical Institutes,” a statement signed by the head of Public Affairs, Emilia Annin stated.

It added that approximately 11,500 employees from 242 institutions under 11 agencies and nine ministries were migrated onto the new Single Spine Grade Structure for GTVET Service.

“Of these employees, 942 were CLOGSAG members. The FWSC collaborated with GTVET and the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department to undertake the exercise as part of its mandate to ensure fair and equitable implementation of government pay policy. The migration was done ensuring that no one was made worse off,” it added.

CLOGSAG Concerns

Following the payment of new salaries in August 2024, CLOGSAG executives complained to the Minister of Employment, Labour Relations, and Pensions, Ignatius Baffour Awuah, about some members of the association being made worse off.

The Chief Executive of the FWSC, Ing Benjamin Arthur, immediately arranged a meeting with CLOGSAG executives to address the concerns which includes lack of options for members to remain with the Civil Service or join TVET, downgrading of some staff, specifically from level 21 to level 19, insufficient sensitisation on the new Scheme of Service and CLOGSAG’s exclusion from the migration process.

CLOGSAG, thus, demanded the reversal of the migration, citing lack of consultation and adverse impact on salaries, promotions, and job security of its members.

FWSC’s Response

While acknowledging CLOGSAG’s concerns, the FWSC said its migration data does not show any employee downgraded from Level 21 to Level 19.

“It did not request employees to write licensure examinations, nor did it convert any Civil Servant into a teacher, as that lies outside its mandate,” it said.

It added that providing options for interested employees to opt-out and return to the Civil Service is not within the FWSC’s mandate.

“In view of that, the FWSC has requested the management of the GTVET service to develop an option form and ensure that employees who express interest to return to the Civil Service are allowed to do so.

“That, sensitisation of the staff on the Scheme of Service does not also lie within the mandate of the FWSC. As a normal procedure with every migration, our post-implementation interrogation of the migration data revealed a few employees suffered conversion difference, which is currently being corrected,” it stated.

The FWSC reiterated its commitment to resolving all salary-related concerns of CLOGSAG and other institutions, unions or associations through dialogue, negotiation, and collaboration to protect industrial peace.

“We urge CLOGSAG to reconsider its intended strike action, scheduled for September 25, and call on them to participate in stakeholder engagements aimed at resolving the issues,” it added.

Source:dailyguidenetwork.com