The Trades Union Congress (TUC) Public Services Workers’ Union (PSWU) has announced that it will go on an indefinite strike beginning on Monday, October 21, 2024.
This ruling comes after fruitless meetings with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) on September 24 and 25, 2024, in relation to the PSWU member organizations’ request for Institution-Specific Allowances.
The PSWU highlighted in a news release dated October 14, 2024, that the request for these allowances was justified and that member organizations must be paid in accordance with the Single Spine Pay Policy (SSPP). The union’s requests have not been met, despite efforts to address the matter; this has led to the strike action.
“It may be recalled that our request justified the urgent need to pay two Institution Specific Allowances (Government Support Services Allowance and Public Services Administration & Equity Allowance) to PSWU member organizations on the SSPP and who provide the invaluable public services that the Government delivers to Ghanaians.
“We further drew attention to the continuous erosion in the real value of our wages, the Government’s lack of commitment to conclude the review of the SSPP, and the discriminatory salary administration regime currently implemented by the government. Accordingly, the structures of our Union have decided to undertake a host of industrial actions to ‘secure our survival as workers’.”
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In order to facilitate discussion with pertinent parties, the union halted its planned industrial action on September 27. Nevertheless, since then, no agreement has been achieved.
“Following initial engagements with FWSC on 24th and 25th September, we, on 27th September communicated the temporary suspension of our planned industrial action to provide respite for all parties to engage in good faith with a view to reach some understandings within a fortnight. Since then, no further engagements have been held, neither have we reached any consensus on our request; let alone conclude on same.”
The union states that it is forced to go on strike and warns that PSWU members on the Single Spine would initiate an industrial action on Monday, October 21, 2024, if the situation is not rectified as planned.
