Renegotiate neutrality allowance- Labour Expert advises parties involved
Another look into the neutrality allowance being demanded by CLOGSAG has been suggested by labour analyst Austin Gamey.
He points out that though civil servants deserve some more financial rewards to improve service conditions, the current form of the neutrality allowance they are demanding will rather make them worse off.
Mr Gamey further suggested that the allowance should be withdrawn completely, asking the Civil and Local Government Staff Association of Ghana (CLOGSAG) and the Public Services Workers Union to return to the negotiation table for a proper revision of the terms of the allowance agreed.
“There cannot be a U-turn, the only thing is to engage. There can be re-negotiation so that instead of a neutrality allowance, they should do some adjustments to wage levels or find something else to do. The civil service deserves some raise, but it should not be a permanent allowance. Maybe they should agree on a time frame, they should consult. So I will prefer that they go back to the negotiation table. That is a better way of dealing with it.”
CLOGSAG demand for the Neutrality Allowance has brought up a public debate with divided opinions on the relevance of such an allowance.
While some are of the view that the government agreeing to this demand will open the floodgate for other claims for such allowances, some believe that such an allowance is important to keep civil and local government workers away from serving based on their political interests.
Austin Gamey concurs “That allowance is very problematic and must not be introduced in the first place. We will only live to face the consequences of it. This is unacceptable. There is nothing like a neutral employee. At worst, there is an impartial person and the laws of this country and the constitution for that matter affirm that all those working in civil service are apolitical. Therefore you don’t need to create any such nomenclature. Public and civil service workers deserve a wage increase and allowances, but this nomenclature of neutrality allowance is problematic.”
CLOGSAG has also called the bluff of critics of the payment of the neutrality allowance as directed by the National Labour Commission, NLC.
