Parliamentary Union lauds Speaker, PSB
The sessional address by His Excellency John Dramani Mahama passed off without any incident of boycott that had been hyped earlier.
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In some of the publications and their editorials on the real issue at stake, which is the unionisation of the junior staff of Parliament, there were attempts by some newspapers to confuse and forge other issues such as the implementation of a new salary structure for the union, which was commenced from the year 2007 under Rt. Hon. Sekyi Hughes as the Speaker of Parliament.
This paper’s interaction with some staff of Parliament clearly revealed that though they (the staff) had been agitating for better working conditions and salary adjustments, it is under the leadership of the Rt. Hon. Speaker, Mr Edward Doe Adjaho, and through the efforts of the Parliamentary Service Board (PSB) that matters relating to both their salary and unionisation were receiving some positive attention.
The workers said at this stage it was important for the national union to intensify its efforts at resolving any outstanding issue to bring the unionisation process to a close.
Concerns of unionised staff
In a quick response, the General Secretary of the Financial Business and Services Employees Union, Mr Benjamin Mingle, said he was aware that the current Speaker, Mr Doe Adjaho, was addressing all concerns of the unionised staff of Parliament and called for restraint on all fronts.
He indicated that it was through inexhaustible patience and some critical analysis of the relationships between the union and the various Speakers of Parliament which had made it possible for a closer relationship with the leadership of the local union and the Board.
The General Secretary stated that the inability of Parliament to amend the Labour Law (ACT651) sometime ago, was as a result of the commitment of the Speaker to allow the workers to be unionised.
He cited an instance where on assumption of office as the Speaker of Parliament, and studying all the issues on the unionisation, Mr Doe Adjaho, in a historic move, travelled to the United Kingdom (House of Commons) together with some local union executive members to go and study and appreciate at first-hand the workings and the relationship between unions and leadership of parliaments.
It was under the leadership of the Rt. Hon. Speaker Doe Adjaho that a sub-committee of the Parliamentary Service Board, led by Mr Okaidja Adamafio, was set up to address all concerns regarding the implementation of a new Parliamentary Service Salary Structure for the staff, which resulted in the review of salaries of staff sometime last year.
“I can say without any reservation that the Speaker is worker-friendly,” the General Secretary said, and and added that there was every reason for the staff to make legitimate demands for better working conditions, indicating his commitment to continue with the struggle to its logical conclusion.
According to the Mr Mingle, it was a bad habit for some staff members to continue to run to the press on any issue without looking for explanations for those matters.
He cited two instances of publications of matters being addressed by the Parliamentary Service Board, yet some staff quickly caused copious publications of documents, which caused an embarrassment to the local union executive.
The General Secretary pleaded with the press to be wary of the staff members who may come to them with stories and be circumspect about any information presented to them.