The Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana (JUSAG) yesterday declared an indefinite nationwide strike effective today.
Unlike previous strikes, security personnel of the association, who hitherto remained at post to protect the properties of the courts, have also been instructed to embark on the strike.
This, according to the Judicial Staff, was as a result of the government’s lackadaisical attitude towards the implementation of their approved consolidated salaries.
It may be recalled that JUSAG on April 1 this year embarked on a strike to demand the payment of their accumulated salaries after government had failed to heed a March 2, 2016 notice ahead of the strike.
However, the strike was short-lived due to assurances from the government that a presidential committee had been set up to address the demands.
Addressing a news conference in Accra yesterday, Alex Nartey, the JUSAG National President, said the government had reneged on its promise.
“JUSAG has always employed dialogue to have our issues addressed. We are quick to respect the position of government since it lies within its mandate to address them,” he said.
Mr Nartey added: “But the double-talk and the correspondence by the government put our expectation in doubt. All efforts to have the said consolidated salaries implemented have not yielded the anticipated results.”
He said the Judicial Council and the Association had fully furnished government with all the necessary documents regarding the consolidated salaries but the government had failed to honour its promises.
Mr Nartey blamed the government for failing to carry out its part of the processes since 2015 when the Chief Justice and the Judicial Council approved the consolidated salaries and forwarded same to it.
In view of this, the JUSAG national president stated, “The National Executive Council (NEC) of JUSAG hereby directs the withdrawal of services by all staff of the Judicial Services, effective Friday, May 20, until government implements the Judicial Council-approved consolidated salaries.”
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