Management of the Judicial Service is expected to meet with the leadership of the Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana (JUSAG) today, May 29, 2023 to appeal to them to call off their indefinite strike.
This meeting is coming off ahead of a planned meeting between the Ministry of Finance and the JUSAG on Wednesday May 31, 2023.
JUSAG on Wednesday, May 24 declared indefinite strike over government failure to address grievances of their salaries.
The Association had earlier in the month threatened to lay down their tools if their new salary scheme approved by the judicial council and the arrears are not approved by the government.
They have accused the National Labour Commission of bias following an earlier summons for the parties to resolve the matter but the situation was unresolved.
Declaring the strike at a short ceremony at the auditorium of Law Court of Complex, president of JUSAG, Mr Samuel Afotey Otu, flanked by his executives said, they have “suffered enough” and asked all staff of JUSAG should stay at home until further notice.
“It will interest you to know that the Judiciary, apart from its core mandate of resolving disputes, interpreting and enforcing the laws of Ghana, also generates substantial revenues for the state.
“For the past 10years, we have generated over Ghs 2.00 billion in revenue through fees, fines, etc. to the state. Unfortunately, our basic demands are yet to be met,” Mr. Samuel Otu Afotey stated.
“The current salaries review we are pushing for the President to approve and pay us does not affect only administrative staff of the service.
“Directors are part, District Court Magistrates are part, and the Circuit Court Judges are part. All these people serving the third arm of government have been subjected to this mistreatment by the Government,” Mr Afotey Otu stated.
“We have suffered enough. We can no longer bear it. An empty sack cannot stand up right. The National Executive Council of JUSAG, upon consultations with the Judicial Service Ladies Association of Ghana (JUSAG), Senior Staff Association (SSAJUG), Driver Association, Finance Staff Association, and al stakeholders who matter, hereby declare an indefinite strike,” JUSAG declares.
He said, “by this declaration of strike, all staff of the service are immediately directed not to report to work from today onwards unless and until the President of Ghana complies with Article 149 of the Constitution by approving and paying our new salaries with all the arrears from January to date.
