The Local Government Service Workers Union (LGSWU), of TUC-Ghana, is unhappy about the continuous non-inclusion of its hard working Environmental Health Officers in the list of COVID-19 package for frontline workers, which Government announced at the height of the pandemic in 2020.

“There is no doubt that this segment of our members, [the Environmental Health Officers] especially, the Cemetery staff, are playing critical frontline roles by ensuring that the Covid-19 corpses are buried under the utmost health and safety standards, to prevent any outbreak from the burial grounds”, it disclosed in a testament

“What is even more worrying now is the fact that, the country is currently seeing an upsurge in Covid-19 cases and associated deaths and these officers are in the frontline to ensure that the dead bodies are properly disposed of at the expense of their own lives and yet, they are not been recognized”, the statement further said.

The union expressed these concerns at its 11th Quadrennial Delegates Conference, held recently at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, KNUST, in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region. The Theme for conference was: The impact of COVID-19 on Labour, the role of the Union (LGSWU).

Other highlights of the conference were the election of new national officers for another four year term, issue of delay in promotions of members which is a major demoralizing factor amongst members within the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), and payment of honorarium to selected few in the Service instead of all classes.

The conference was conducted in an atmosphere of peace and unity, with national executives elected to steer the affairs of the Union for the next four years. They include National Chairman, Ing  Moses Awenkanab Awarikaro; First National Vice Chairman, Brother Bismark Von Golloh; Second National Vice Chairperson, Sister Priscilla Obeng-Gyabaa and General Secretary, Godfred Nyarko Okyere.

After the conference in Kumasi, the new elected LGSWU national officers as part of efforts to promote effective stakeholder engagement, met with the Head of Service at the Office of the Head of the Local Government Service in Accra to formerly introduce themselves to the management of the service. In that meeting, they reiterated their concerns about the neglect of the Environmental Health workers, from enjoying the government’s Covid-19 package for frontline staff to the Head of Service, Ing. Dr. Ato Arthur.

The Head of Service, Ing. Dr. Nana Ato Arthur, on his part, appreciated the concerns of the LGSWU, and said measures are being taken to ensure fairness in the provision of benefits to all staff in the various Assemblies.  Regarding the issue of promotions, he said the promotion regime is being reviewed to address bottlenecks relating to promotions and that very soon, all those challenges will be a thing of the past. 

Addressing the issue raised about the Environmental Health Officers, he gave assurance to the leadership that the issue will be forwarded to the appropriate quarter for redress.