We are not on strike; Says Accountant General’S Dept workers
Workers of the Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD) have stated that they are not part of the ongoing strike by organised labour.
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Consequently, they have given an assurance that the processing of salaries and other payments to public sector workers will not be delayed, contrary to earlier fears expressed to that effect.
According to them, salaries for this month had already been processed.
Speaking in separate interviews with the Daily Graphic yesterday, the workers said, “we have sworn an oath not to go on strike and therefore we are not part of what is going on: Everyone who is supposed to be at work is here and working.”
However, they said they supported the ongoing action by labour with regard to the management of the second-tier pensions by the unions and urged the government to heed the call of organised labour to prevent the issue from escalating.
Explaining further why workers of the department could not be on strike, one employee said, “if we go on strike, the wheels of government will run to a complete halt because we process all payments made by the state and therefore, the slightest hitch would ground the whole country”.
Warning
They warned, however, that anything could happen if workers of the department were pushed to the wall beyond expectation.
They said the issue at stake was very sensitive as it bordered on the future of workers, including them and asked the government to see reason to ensure that the matter was resolved without any further delays.
Govt’s action
The action of the government with regard to the suit against organised labour is said to be hindering the negotiation process as labour is refusing to back down on its stance.
A meeting between the two parties last Tuesday ended in a deadlock as organised labour was said to have made its point clear to the government’s negotiating team that they could not continue with the negotiations while the case was in court.
The government has sued 12 labour groups over their strike that has resulted in the partial or complete shutdown of many public institutions, chief of which is the health sector.
An 18-point statement of claim said among other things that “The plaintiff’s claim is for an order that the defendants call off their strike and resume work, as mandated by the respective contracts of employment”.
“The plaintiff’s claim is for an order that the defendants jointly and severally pay to the government, as employer, any financial or economic loss suffered by the government during the pendency of the strike”, it further stated.