Fulfill demands of Civil Servants to avoid strike - Appiah-Sarpong

Koforidua, Aug. 02, GNA - Mr Jacob Appiah-Sarpong, Eastern Regional Chairman of Civil Servants Association (CSA) has appealed to Government to heed the demands of civil servants to avoid "a long and embarrassing strike."

He cautioned civil servants who sometimes pressurized leadership of the association to abandon industrial action midway to accept piece-meal on demands offered by Government to desist from such acts and give their full support to the leadership to fight for them.

Mr Appiah-Sarpong made the appeal at a durbar of civil servants within New Juaben Municipality on Thursday, to brief them on the resolution adopted by the association at its 10th Quadrennial National Delegates Congress at Kumasi last month.

He said the association was determined to "go all out" to ensure that Government fulfilled all agreements it had concluded with the association to ensure better service conditions for Ghanaian Civil Servants.

Mr Appiah-Sarpong mentioned some of the demands of the association to include implementation of Government's Vehicle and Housing Loan Scheme, correction of distortions in the Ghana Universal Salary Structure (GUSS) and new salary structure for the civil service to serve as the basis for negotiations of new salaries to be implemented in January 2007.

He advised civil servants to wear red arm bands to work until August 15, this year and asked those who would be harassed by their superior officers for wearing red arm bands to report them to the association for redress.

Mr Appiah-Sarpong advised civil servants to comport themselves and work hard to avoid head of institutions complaining about their performance.

Mr Thomas N. Dwirah, Eastern Regional Secretary of the association pointed out that the association was demanding new salary structure because Government, by its recent salary policies, had "destroyed" the GUSS.