‘Don’t embark on strike over non-payment of market premium’
The Local Government Workers’ Union (LGWU) has advised its members at the various Regional Co-ordinating Councils, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies not to embark on any strike over the non-payment of market premium.
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In a statement signed by its General Secretary, Mr Kenneth Daniels, the union further urged its members not to allow themselves “to be used by any group of persons who may have an agenda to use decent but unsuspecting workers to satisfy their selfish interests”.
“The leadership of the LGWU will like to use this opportunity to admonish workers in the Local Government Service, especially those at the MMDAs, to refrain from any action which is likely to jeopardise the industrial harmony at the local government level, as well as the peace and tranquillity that the nation is currently enjoying,” it said.
Market premium
The statement noted that based on the government White Paper on Guidelines for the Determination of Market Premium under the Single Spine Pay Policy, the Ghana Statistical Service was tasked to submit a survey report on “Levels and Extent of Scarcity of Skills in the Public Services” which it faithfully did in November, 2014.
“According to the report, market premium should be paid to people with ‘highly scarce skills’ which are also ‘critical’ to the growth and sustainability of the economy. Page 38, paragraphs 2 and 3 of the survey report by the Ghana Statistical Service states: ‘We recommend that the highly scarce skills should be used to determine skills that qualify to receive market premium.’ We also recommend further that work be undertaken to determine which of the skills are critical and require further attention,” it said.
The statement explained that the market premium was at its Implementation stage, adding that “the committee responsible for ensuring the implementation of the market premium policy has requested proposals from all entities in the public sector including labour unions and associations to submit for justification and eventual payment, any list of persons who qualify to be paid market premiums according to the guidelines in the Government White Paper”.
Strike unfortunate
The statement said based on this, the union therefore saw it as unfortunate for any group of persons or any association to embark on an industrial action or strike claiming to be fighting for the interest of people who might not even qualify to receive market premiums.
“The Local Government Workers’ Union believes in fairness, equality and transparency and would continue to fight for the interests of its members who span across the length and breadth of the country in the MMDAs.
“Any of our members who may feel intimidated to forcibly embark on strike should not hesitate to call the police to come to their rescue and also inform our District, Regional and National Executives about any incidents,” the statement added.