Accra, June 30, GNA - Mr James Amissah, Acting General Secretary of the Civil and Local Government Staff Association (CLOGSAG), said in Accra on Wednesday that members of the Association were opposed to any negotiations for salary increment under the Ghana Trades Union Congress (TUC), describing the move as illegal.

He said the 1992 constitution recognises the right of CLOGSAG to negotiate on its own, madding that that had been the practice long ago. Mr Amissah who was speaking at a meeting of the Greater Accra branch of CLOGSAG to give explain the rationale for the impending demonstration, said the Association had its own committee that would negotiate on its behalf. He also challenged the legal right of the Fair Wages Commission (FWC) to develop a new salary structure which, he argued, was a constitutional obligation of the Public services Commission under the 1992 constitution. Mr. Amissah said if the FWC should do so then the relevant portions of the constitution should be amended by Parliament.

He reiterated that the group wanted to negotiate under the Ghana Universal Salaries Structure (GUS) not the Single Spine Structure (SSS) which, according to him, had some anomalies. Mr Amissah said since 2005, CLOGSAG had been agitating for correction on the SSS with proposals, but to no avail.

He said "We are fighting for equity but not against any government because the Civil Service is a permanent structure to serve the government of the day", adding that, for five-and-half years, for instance, there had not been any review of allowances. Mr Amissah urged members to join the demonstration to make it a success, saying that they should guard against anything that would divide their ranks. 30 June 10