Local gov´t workers union angry over illegal deductions

The Ashanti regional branch of the Local Government Workers Union (LGWU) of TUC has accused Civil and Local Government Staff Association of Ghana (CLOGSAG) of illegally registering staff of local government service.

Members are also unhappy about a two percent salary deduction of workers in the MMDAs under the pension tier 3 without their consent.

They want CLOGSAG to as a matter of urgency stop further deductions and refund all monies illegally deducted.

According to the union, the deductions by CLOGSAG is a blatant disregard and contrary to the labour law as enshrined in the Labour Act 2003 (Act 651) section 69 (2b) titled Prohibited deductions.

The National Pensions Act 2008 regulates all pensions in the country. The work–based pension scheme is mandatory for all formal sector employees.

But the local government workers are aggrieved CLOGSAG is registering staff of the Local Government Service who by law are not employees of the civil service.

This, according to the Ashanti regional chairman of LGWU, Opoku Amankwah is putting the future of innocent workers at great risk when they retire.

He stated that “the civil service law 1993, amendment Act 600 of 2001 gave the Civil Service Association representation on the Civil Service Governing Council and not on the local government”.

The Union implored the executives of Civil Servants Association and all those who matter to stop any further deductions and refund all monies illegally deducted since July 2014 to date to the workers without any delay.

The leadership of Local Government Workers Union has also threatened to take legal action against the Controller and Accountant Department, the executives of CLOGSAG if the illegal deduction is not stopped.

Speaking to Bright Kwesi Asempa the host of News and Current Affairs show Ghana Dadwen on Onua 95.1 fm on Wednesday after a press briefing,Mr Thomas Kujan-Tira said,move by the leadership of L.G.W.U to stop this unauthorised deductions has yield no result.

Mr Thomas Kujan-Tira queried “what are they taking the money for, why are they deducting without our knowledge. Are we not working to make a living?”