The Local Government Workers’ Union (LGWU) has asked employees of the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to rededicate themselves to improve sanitation and revenue mobilization.
A New Year’s message to members signed by Mr Joe Boahen, General Secretary said, said through strict enforcement of the by-laws and effective collection of property rates and business operating permit fees, the Assemblies could reposition themselves for accelerated development.
The Union urged Ghanaians to cultivate the habit of voluntarily paying property rates as their civic duty to help sustain the revenue generation for the MMDAs towards improved service delivery.
It expressed reservation about the ploy of some worker groups to use all manner of commodities and loan facilities to convince their members to join such workers’ associations.
“MMDAs employees including Coordinating Directors need to be wary of workers associations whose activities have the potential to undermine their future retirement benefits,” it said.
The Union said the LGWU was ready to constructively dialogue with stakeholders to ensure that activities of such workers’ associations to undermine decentralization and cause disaffection among MMDAs employees were resolved amicably in the spirit of industrial harmony.
The Union promised to keep employees of MMDAs abreast with the Instrument of Establishment of the Local Government Service Act 656 of 2003 and the Commencement Instrument, 2009, LI 1961.
Both instruments make the Local Government Service a distinct one which extends to MMDAs and Regional Coordinating Council workers.
“Under the Act, the LGWU is represented on the Local Government Service Governing Council, which is the highest decision-making body to champion the conditions of service and other welfare issues of local government workers.”
The Union expressed its happiness with the smooth operation of the Local Government Workers Occupation Pension Scheme, with Provident Life Trust as the Corporate Trustee; the Occupation Pension Scheme is the Second-Tier Pension for MMDAs.
The LGWU leadership called on the Controller and Accountant General’s Department to expedite action on correcting the double deduction anomalies of staff of MMDAs to lessen the agony the affected staff go through anytime they receive their salaries.
On the 2016 elections, the LGWU appealed to political parties and all actors in the political arena to avoid rancor and other divisive tendencies, which could undermine peace and unity of purpose needed to build a prosperous Ghana.
“Let us know that it will take a collective effort to sustain constitutional governance in Ghana, so that the country will continue to be a beacon of hope to the rest of the world, especially in countries where electoral disputes have degenerated into violent conflicts,” the Union said.
