Government recognises invaluable contributions of CLOGSAG

Wa, Oct. 12, GNA - Alhaji Issahaque Salia, Upper West Regional Minister, said government recognises and appreciates the invaluable contributions, members of the Civil Servants and Local Government Staff have been making towards the realization of national aspirations. He said the Civil Service could best be described as the engine, around which government business revolves, because its members play a critical role in the initiation and implementation of policies and programmes of government.

Alhaji Salia was addressing members of the Civil and Local Government Staff Association of Ghana (CLOGSAG), at its regional conference in Wa, to elect new executive members of the association. The conference also offered members of the association the opportunity to be sensitised on the re-evaluation exercise of jobs on the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS). Alhaji Salia said the new pay policy was founded on the principle of equity, as it was based on equal pay for jobs of equal value and no worker would be worst off in that regard.

He said it was for this reason that disaffections with the new pay policy by CLOGSAG was given attention by government. He therefore urged members of the association to co-operate, for a successful re-evaluation of jobs in the two organizations, to settle the issue in contention, for the smooth implementation of the SSSS. Alhaji Salia explained that, increase in productivity in the public and private services would result in the rise of the national cake, which would translate into enhanced incomes and growth of the economy. He urged members of the association to avoid laziness and lateness and also be more committed to the code of conduct of their organizations, to enhance productivity at workplaces. Madam Christina Gockel, a Director of Finance and Administration, at the Head of Civil Service, said national executives committee of the association was collaborating with the Fair Wages Commission to repackage and re-evaluate the jobs of its members. She said some members of the association did not understand or know what they were supposed to be doing as Civil Servants. Some accepted jobs but did not know the scheme of service and as such could not speak to job descriptions, hence the placement of members on low grades, she explained.

Mr Jonathan Tetteh Lartey, of the Civil Service, who took the members through the sensitisation process, said failure to select the right calibre of personnel to fill forms and general apathy among respondents, affected the previous exercise. He said poor level of sensitisation, absence of a clearly defined work schedule and failure to upgrade jobs description, as well as scheme of services, among others, also affected the exercise. Mr David Yakubu, Chief Director at the Upper West Regional Coordinating Council, said it was difficult to quantify what the Civil Servants really do and urged people to appreciate their work.