Government has agreed to pay the ‘Neutrality Allowance’ to members of the Civil and Local Government Staff Association of Ghana (CLOGSAG), but will change the name since it does not sit well with it.

However, the allowance will be paid during the last quarter of 2022.

Head of Local Government Services, Dr Nana Ato Arthur told the media that both government and CLOGSAG have shown good faith as far as the matter is concerned.

He’s therefore optimistic CLOGSAG who have been on strike since Thursday, April 21st, 2022 will call off the strike.

“Both parties, government and CLOGSAGG have showed very good faith as far as this is concerned. Government was very transparent; that is the level of transparency from the government side was high in the sense that government was plain to CLOGSAG that we sign an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with you that we were going to provide some allowance for the civil servants and local government staff beginning February [2022].”

“But looking at the challenges [economic] we're facing, we find it difficult to start the implementation in February [2022]. So we are pleading with you, CLOGSAG that we can only implement that allowance we said we're going to give you, during the last quarter of this year”.

On the name ‘Neutrality Allowance’, Dr. Ato Arthur said “forget about the terminology that we called it because that terminology or nomenclature doesn’t sit well with us as government. So let’s have a team to look at how it is going to be called. However that allowance we’ll give to you effective the last quarter of the year.”

CLOGASG, he said accepted the offer on Friday April 22, 2022.

“This engagement was chaired by the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations [Ignatius Baffour Awuah]. So what happened was that the Ministry was going to write to the Ministry of Finance, the decisions both parties agreed upon and then the Ministry of Finance will then communicate to the appropriate authorities”, he further outlined.

“Based on the communication [from Employment Ministry], the Ministry will communicate to Controller and then copied CLOGSAG. Based on that, then CLOGSAG executives will call off the strike.”

Dr Ato Arthur added that “just this morning, the indication is that government is working on it, government is committed to it. When the letter gets to CLOGSAG the strike will be called off”.

Members of CLOGSAG began an indefinite strike on Thursday, April 21 over the nonpayment of the neutrality allowance.

They argued that despite official reminders and follow ups, payment of the Neutrality Allowance had not been effected as agreed.