The looming nationwide strike by the Civil and Local Government Staff Association of Ghana (CLOGSAG) has triggered sharp political divisions in Parliament, with the Minority caucus accusing the government of failing to honour reviewed conditions of service for civil servants, while members of the Majority urge restraint and dialogue.

CLOGSAG has announced an indefinite strike scheduled to begin on Monday, March 9, a move expected to significantly disrupt operations across the civil service and several government institutions. The strike action follows prolonged concerns by the association over the government’s delay in implementing agreed conditions of service for its members.

Members of Parliament speaking on the issue expressed contrasting views along political lines. While lawmakers from the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) defended the union’s decision and criticised the government’s handling of the matter, MPs from the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) appealed to the association to reconsider its position and allow more time for government to address the concerns.

The NPP Member of Parliament for Effia, Isaac Boamah Nyarko, strongly criticised the government for what he described as selective and inconsistent payment of arrears and benefits to various state institutions.

According to him, the government’s approach of prioritising payments to certain institutions while delaying others has created frustration among civil servants.

Boamah Nyarko argued that civil servants are entitled to their negotiated conditions of service regardless of the prevailing economic situation and warned that failure to address these commitments could deepen dissatisfaction within the public sector.

“I believe CLOGSAG members are deeply concerned about the government’s inconsistency in dealing with arrears payments and conditions of service across institutions. When government chooses which institutions to pay, perhaps out of fear of strikes or demonstrations, it delays legitimate demands of civil servants. That is unfortunate because these are conditions they are entitled to, irrespective of how the government portrays the state of the economy,” he stated.

However, MPs on the Majority side described the impending strike as regrettable and called on the association to reconsider its decision while government works toward resolving the issues.

The NDC Member of Parliament for Twifo-Atti-Morkwa, David Vondee, acknowledged the concerns raised by the civil servants but maintained that authorities are already reviewing the demands and are committed to ensuring that what is due to the workers will be paid.

According to him, an industrial action at this stage would not be in the interest of public sector workers or the country as a whole.

“I urge CLOGSAG to reconsider. His Excellency President John Mahama will take care of every situation, and I believe we will be fine. Authorities are reviewing their demands and will ensure that what is due is given. It is in nobody’s interest for public sector workers to strike,” Vondee said.

Similarly, the NDC Member of Parliament for Berekum West, Dickson Kyere Duah, appealed for patience, arguing that the current administration inherited several financial obligations and is working to gradually resolve them.

He indicated that while public sector workers may not yet have received all the benefits they expect, the government remains committed to honouring previous agreements but requires additional time to fully implement them.

“The government inherited the current situation and is actively working to resolve it. Although public sector workers may not yet receive all the conditions they expect, they are generally better off under this government than before. The administration remains committed to honouring previous agreements, but additional time is needed to implement them fully,” he stated.

The labour dispute comes at a time when tensions between CLOGSAG and government have already been heightened over broader governance and institutional reform issues. The association recently rejected proposals by the Constitutional Review Committee (CRC) to grant independent constitutional status to the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD).

At a press conference in Accra on March 4, CLOGSAG’s Executive Secretary, Isaac Bampoe Addo, warned that removing the department from the administrative oversight of the Ministry of Finance could create institutional confusion and weaken fiscal coordination within government.

According to the association, the CAGD plays a central role in implementing government accounting, payment control and treasury management functions, and therefore must remain under the Ministry of Finance to ensure effective coordination of fiscal policy.

The dispute over the CAGD proposal has further heightened tensions between the union and policymakers, as CLOGSAG insists that existing constitutional arrangements already provide adequate safeguards for the appointment and oversight of heads of public service institutions.