The members of the Civil and Local Government Staff Association of Ghana (CLOGSAG) are to return to work today after calling off its three-strike over the payment of neutrality allowance.

CLOGSAG laid down its tools on Thursday, April 21, following the inability of government to pay the neutrality allowance as agreed in January this year.

The strike compelled work at the various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to ground to a halt.

Even though Ghanaians criticised the workers for their decision to strike over such an allowance, they insisted it was necessary.

However, the Association called off the three-week strike on Thursday, May 12.

At a press conference on Thursday, Isaac Bampoe-Addo, the Executive Secretary of CLOGSAG, said the decision to step down from the industrial action followed a decision taken by its National Executive Council after an agreement was reached government.

“At its meeting held on Thursday, May 12, 2022, the National Executive Council of the Civil and Local Government Staff Association of Ghana (CLOGSAG) decided to call off the nationwide strike by its members.

"The rationale to step down the industrial action was based on the demand from the Ministry of Finance to direct the Controller and Accountant General’s Department to effect payment of the agreed allowance, has been met on May 11, 2022.”

Meanwhile, government has said it will implement all agreements in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Association.

It has, however, dropped the controversial Neutrality Allowance.

The Deputy Finance Minister, Abena Osei-Asare, in a JoyNews interview, said beginning January 2023, all agreements will be honoured to improve the conditions of service for CLOGSAG members.

“Government has reached an agreement with CLOGSAG, and we will go ahead to implement everything that has been stipulated in the MoU. But, unfortunately, we don’t have the Neutrality Allowance as I speak with you.”

“But all the other issues that have been raised in the MoU, the government will make sure it fulfils its part of it and then make sure that whatever it is, we’ll implement their conditions of service in January 2023 as stipulated in the MoU,” she said.

She added that a committee has been set up to look into conditions of service for the group for subsequent consideration and implementation.

“All the other unions do have conditions of service, but CLOGSAG hasn’t gotten one, and that is important to them. So, we have set up a committee to look at and ensure they complete it before we send the 2023 budget to Parliament in November."

“It includes almost everything they talk about, including their allowances and other things. So we hope that with the support we have received now, all the stakeholders involved will work and make sure we meet the deadline to take to Parliament for implementation to begin in January 2023.”