‘Striking workers risk forfeiting salaries

Public sector workers who absent themselves from work this month risk losing their salaries at the end of the month.

According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations, it was spelt out in the Labour Law that workers on illegal strike risked forfeiting their salaries during the period of the strike.

“Government wishes to remind all public sector workers of the provisions of the Labour Act 2003 (Act 651), which states, among other issues, that a worker on strike ‘may forfeit his/her remuneration in respect of the period during which he/she is engaged in the illegal strike’,” the statement, issued by the sector Minister, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, said.

The government, it said, had, therefore, directed all heads of government establishments where workers had embarked on illegal (partial or full) strike to compile and submit to their respective ministers of state the list of workers who had been absenting themselves from work as a result of a strike or protest.

The compiled lists, it said, were to be submitted to the Ministry of Finance on or before Friday, August 14, 2015 for necessary action.

The statement appealed to striking workers to call off their strike and return to work while negotiating in good faith.

Currently, while doctors and pharmacists are on strike demanding conditions of service, members of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) are demanding the payment of their book and research allowances.