Paying neutrality allowance isn’t right – Franklin Cudjoe
Despite the caution from Executive Director of CLOGSAG Mr Bampoe Addo to stay of labour issues, an unperturbed Franklin Cudjoe, Founding President of Imani Africa has once again questioned the importance of the neutrality allowance being demanded by the Civil and Local Government Staff Association of Ghana(CLOGSAG).
He opined that the Association’s demand for neutrality allowance is at variance with the Civil Service’s code of ethics.
“Conditions are dire for everybody but to discuss neutrality and give it a name and an allowance is quite frankly insulting to the whole principles of undergirding the Civil Service.”
On Thursday, April 21 2022, members of CLOGSAG commenced an industrial action after the government failed to pay the allowance as agreed upon in January this year.
The said allowance is to make sure that civil and local government workers do not engage in politics while conducting their affairs at their duty posts.
Furthermore, it is to ensure that they discharge their duties professionally without getting involved in partisan activities.
While Mr Franklin is of the view that CLOGSAG’s demands for better conditions may be justified, he does not think neutrality allowance is appropriate.
“I think that the terminology they gave that allowance is the problem because we have said time without number that the Civil Service is undergirded by three principles. The principle of anonymity, permanency and neutrality, so to take up each of these principles and negotiate sounds quite like repeating itself. I do not think it is right,” he said.
