Labour Analyst, Austin Gamey, is proposing a review of the Neutrality Allowance being demanded by some public sector workers.
He makes the point that, although civil servants deserve some more financial rewards to improve service conditions, the current form of the Neutrality Allowance they are crying over will rather make them worse off.
Speaking on Eyewitness News, Austin Gamey suggested that the allowance should be withdrawn completely, asking the Civil and Local Government Staff Association of Ghana (CLOGSAG) and the Public Services Workers Union to return to the negotiation table for a proper revision of the terms of the allowance agreed.
“There cannot be a U-turn, the only thing is to engage. There can be re-negotiation so that instead of a neutrality allowance, they should do some adjustments to wage levels or find something else to do. The civil service deserve some raise, but it should not be a permanent allowance. May be they should agree on a time frame, they should consult. So I will prefer that they go back to the negotiation table. That is a better way of dealing with it.”
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The demand for the Neutrality Allowance has generated public debate with divided opinion on the relevance of such an allowance.
While some contend that government giving in to this demand will open the floodgate for other allowance claims from the state, some believe that such an allowance is important to keep civil and local government workers away from serving based on their political interests.
This, Austin Gamey concurs.
“That allowance is very problematic and must not be introduced in the first place. We will only live to face the consequences of it. This is unacceptable. There is nothing like a neutral employee. At worst, there is an impartial person and the laws of this country and the constitution for that matter affirms that all those working in civil service are apolitical. Therefore you don’t need to create any such nomenclature. Public and civil service workers deserve a wage increase and allowances, but this nomenclature of neutrality allowance is problematic.”
CLOGSAG has called the bluff of critics of the payment of the controversial neutrality allowance as directed by the National Labour Commission, NLC.
Executive Secretary of CLOGSAG, Isaac Bampoe Addo, insists that all negotiations and documentation on the payment of the allowance have been concluded.
He disclosed that the National Labour Commission has instructed the Finance Ministry to pay the said allowance of which a payment plan will soon be rolled out.
Isaac Bampoe Addo was reacting to concerns raised by the public, stakeholders and some think tanks who have kicked against the allowance and advocated for its complete withdrawal.
