Disabled public, civil workers threaten strike

The Ghana Disabled Workers Union (GDWU) has served notice of a demonstration on 13 July 2016 to protest against what its members say is the undue delay by government to start paying two allowances approved for workers with disabilities in the public, civil and the Ghana Education Service.

The union whose members include the visually-impaired, the hearing-impaired, physically-challenged and persons living with albinism, said transport and guide allowances, which are due them have not been paid since 2013 despite several attempts to have compel the authorities to do so.

Interim President of the Union, Alex Hodor, speaking to Class News, said they are running out of patience.

“Government needs to migrate some of us onto the commuting allowance…and guide allowance. The commuting allowance is for transportation: that is transportation allowance for the disabled and also guide allowance is for our guide. I am visually-impaired, I need a guide if I’m going out or marking my scripts, someone needs to do it for me, I can’t do it myself, so, it’s mandatory and its accepted by government. It’s part of category 2 and 3 allowances and since 2013, we have complained, we have had documents upon documents and promises have always been given to us, but this promise still has not come to lime light, so, the only thing is that we think we have to demonstrate. Our members are disturbing us, always calling us every now and then, it is as if we are not doing anything, so if we go on demonstration at the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Education, they will understand us and probably our allowances may be paid to us,” he stated.