CLOGSAG, FWSC To Meet An Arbitrator For Settlement

The National Labour Commission (NLC) has referred the matter involving the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) and the Civil and Local Government Staff Association of Ghana (CLOGSAG) to an independent arbitrator to help resolve their differences. The leadership of CLOGSAG has ordered its members to lay down their tools on Monday, October 14, 2013 due to the non-payment of their outstanding allowances; a matter which they have been battling with the NLC for months. But in an interview on Eyewitness News on Friday, the Acting Executive Secretary of the NLC, Bernice Welbeck explained that the leadership of CLOGSAG has always maintained an entrenched position which has made it difficult for the Commission to settle their grievances. She therefore stated that her outfit �has referred the matter to arbitration for determination because it appears that the parties on their own when given the opportunity, because they are holding on to positions cannot have the matters resolved amicably.� Mrs. Welbeck further revealed that an Arbitrator has already been appointed and has begun serving letters to the leadership of the FWSC and CLOGSAG. �The Arbitrator told us that he has called the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission and told them they have to appear for an arbitration management conference on Monday and has also given the same information to CLOGSAG.� She added that the decision by CLOGSAG to embark on an industrial action on Monday, which is the same day they have been summoned to an arbitration conference, is unnecessary. Mrs. Welbeck therefore appealed to the leadership of CLOGSAG �to just allow the process to go through so that we see a closure to this dispute.� However, the Executive Secretary of CLOGSAG, Isaac Bampoe Addo on his part insisted that his members will not rescind their decision to strike on Monday.