Water System staff of the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) in the Greater Accra Region have petitioned the management and Governing Board of the Agency, calling for the regularisation of their employment and improved conditions of service.

In the petition addressed to the Chief Executive of CWSA, the staff appealed for long-serving employees engaged under the Agency’s Internally Generated Fund (IGF) payroll to be absorbed into the permanent structure of the organisation.

According to the petitioners, some IGF staff have worked continuously for several years, with some serving for up to nine years, while performing duties similar to colleagues on the Controller and Accountant General’s Department payroll.

They contend that despite carrying out comparable responsibilities, IGF employees face disparities in areas including salary adjustments, promotions, employment security and other conditions of service.

The staff also cited what they described as their contribution to the management and improvement of Water Systems across the Greater Accra Region.

They said their work had contributed to improved financial and operational management, the resolution of technical challenges, faster turnaround times and the maintenance of relationships necessary to support the Agency’s objectives.

The petitioners further noted that their duties often require them to work shifts, weekends and public holidays. However, they alleged that overtime and extra-duty allowances are not being paid despite staff being required to respond to customer-service issues, pipeline bursts and leakages, including incidents occurring at night.

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One of the major concerns raised in the petition is the continued use of short-term contracts for staff who have served the Agency for several years.

The workers said contract extension letters covering July to December 2026 had been issued to IGF staff, despite some employees having served continuously for up to nine years.

They further alleged that the new contract arrangements introduced conditions linking the payment of full monthly salaries to the achievement of monthly revenue targets by individual Water Systems.

The petitioners described the arrangement as unfair, particularly given the operational challenges confronting the systems.

They claimed that a Water System could receive a monthly operational imprest of about GH¢4,000 while being expected to generate revenue of GH¢200,000 or more.

According to them, the operational funds are required to cover administrative expenses, fuel for revenue mobilisation, maintenance of ageing motorbikes, office maintenance and the upkeep of borehole sites, pump houses, treatment plants, standpipes, storage tanks and other infrastructure.

The workers also raised concerns about salary arrears, alleging that 10 per cent of salary arrears for January and February 2025 remained unpaid.

They further alleged that IGF staff salaries had been reduced by nine per cent since February 2026 without prior consultation or consent, which they said had created financial difficulties for affected employees and their families.

The petitioners relied on Section 73 of the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651), arguing that temporary workers who have been employed continuously by the same employer for six months or more should be treated as permanent workers.

They therefore appealed to the CWSA leadership and relevant government authorities to review the employment status of long-serving Water System staff and take steps to regularise their positions.

The workers also raised concerns about the alleged non-payment of medical bills, saying their appointment letters provide for medical support but that such payments had reportedly not been made since the previous year.

They called for access to the CWSA Conditions of Service, noting that their appointment and promotion letters refer to the document but that staff allegedly have not been given access to it.

The staff further expressed concern over what they described as the recruitment of Senior High School (SHS) graduates into roles currently performed by employees holding Higher National Diploma (HND) and degree qualifications.

They questioned the rationale behind such recruitment and expressed concern that it could affect the employment security of existing qualified staff.

The petitioners said the prevailing conditions were affecting employee welfare, morale and financial security, particularly their ability to meet essential obligations such as accommodation, education, healthcare, food and transportation.

Despite their concerns, the Water System staff said they remained committed to providing safe and reliable water services to communities across Ghana.

They stressed that the petition was not intended to undermine CWSA management but rather to seek intervention to ensure that employees were treated fairly and in accordance with Ghanaian labour laws.

The staff appealed to the Chief Executive, the CWSA Governing Board, the Minister for Works, Housing and Water Resources, the Greater Accra Regional Minister, the Acting Director of Administration and Human Resource, and the Public Utility Workers Union to intervene in the matter.

“Water is life,” the petitioners stated, stressing that personnel responsible for the production and distribution of water services should be provided with fair, secure and dignified employment conditions.

The petition was dated August 28, 2026, and was submitted by Water System staff of the Community Water and Sanitation Agency in the Greater Accra Region, with accompanying signatures from members of staff.

AM

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