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The Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana (JUSAG) has warned that its members will resort to a nationwide industrial action if the government fails to implement the Judicial Council recommendation to pay them their consolidated salaries.

It has, therefore, given the government up to May 18, 2016 to implement the recommended consolidated salaries or face an industrial action.

Briefing the Daily Graphic on the position of JUSAG, its General Secretary, Mr Derrick Annan, said all attempts by the association to get the government to pay the approved salaries had so far yielded no fruit.

“The leadership of JUSAG has for some time now made frantic efforts demanding the implementation of the Judicial Council’s recommended consolidated salaries,” he said.

Calling off strike

He recalled that the association had to call off an earlier strike on March 30, 2016 based on assurances by the government that the Presidential Committee would “offer immediate solution to our plight.

“With due respect to the Office of the President, we ceded to meet the Presidential Committee, although in our opinion, the Judicial Council was the appropriate body to meet the said committee,” he said.

Mr Annan said, however, that recently JUSAG was reliably informed that a letter had referred the said meeting with the Presidential Committee to the Judicial Council.

Ploy to delay

“We consider this current position of the government as an immediate detour to delay the already began processes of the Presidential Committee.

“The last committee sitting had received specific answers regarding the presidential approval of the lower bench salaries, to which the association is drawing analysis and linkages,” he said.

Mr Annan added that it was the candid opinion of the association that it had done what was promised, hence the immediate decision of the government to resort to the Judicial Council was a “ploy at the austerity of our plight.”

He indicated that the association did not doubt that the Judicial Council was the appropriate body to address, if any, the concerns of the government, adding that the association was losing patience over the long delays.

Appeal for immediate solution

He, therefore, appealed to the government, the Judicial Council and management of the Judicial Service to try to offer immediate solutions to the demands of the association.

“We believe that an immediate response will avert the already simmering agitation among our rank and file,” Mr Annan added.

He hinted that a letter containing the concerns of the association had already been written to the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations and copied to other relevant personalities and institutions.