Kenneth Daniels
The Local Government Workers’ Union (LGWU) of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) has entreated staff of Regional Coordinating Council, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) not to embark on any strike over non-payment of market premium.
The appeal was contained in a press release signed by the newly-elected General Secretary of LGWU, Kenneth Daniels.
“The market premium is at its implementation stage,” the statement said.
It said the committee responsible for ensuring the implementation of the market premium policy has requested all entities in the public sector, including labour unions and associations, to submit proposals for justification and eventual payment of any list of persons who qualify for the market premium according to the guidelines in the Government White Paper.
According to the two-paged statement, “Based on the Government White Paper on Guidelines for the Determination of Market Premium under the Single Spine Pay Policy, the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) was tasked to submit a survey report on “Levels and Extent of Scarcity of Skills in the Public Services” which it faithfully did in November, 2014.”
“According to the report, market premium should be paid to people with “highly scarce skills which are “critical” to the growth and sustainability of the economy,” the statement said.
LGWU stated that “based on this, the Local Government Workers’ Union therefore sees it as unfortunate for any group of persons or any association to embark on an industrial action or strike, claiming to be fighting for the interest of people who may not even qualify to receive market premiums.”
“The leadership of LGWU will like to use this opportunity to admonish workers in the local government service, especially those at the MMDAs, to refrain from any action which is likely to jeopardize industrial harmony at the local government level, as well as the peace and tranquility that the nation is currently enjoying.”
It stressed that “any of our members who may feel intimated to forcibly embark on strike should not hesitate to call the police to come to their rescue and also inform our district, regional and national executives about any incidents.”
BY Melvin Tarlue