The sleeping baby is dead and buried.

Associations are bodies that individuals create for themselves and to use them to champion, promote and protect their interests. In Ghana, Article 21 (1) (e) of the 1992 constitution gives individual the right to join any association. However, workers are limited to choosing associations within their work environment. 

It is against this backdrop that some workers join Civil and Local Government Staff Association, Ghana (CLOGSAG) to protect and promote their interest.Members want to see improved conditions of service to better their lives and families and also to mitigate the high cost living condition and others. People are either elected or appointed to lead their various associations. Leaders are expected to put the interests of their members first against any perceived personal interest. But is that the case with CLOGSAG? Certainly no! 

It is interesting to note that Section 3(9) of the Pension Act (Act 766), 2008 enjoins individuals to make voluntary contributions to a scheme under tier 3. To the contrary, leaders of CLOGSAG think that their members do not deserve that right guaranteed in this act and therefore, decided to enroll all their members into tier 3 scheme without members’ consent as it is stated in Section 70 (1) (a) of the Labour Act ( Act 651), 2003 . 

February 2023 was another continuous money ritual to some CLOGSAG members. Not only did CLOGSAG executives fail to consult their members with regard to Tier 3 but also went ahead to deduct members’ salaries for Tier 3 scheme.What is the interest of these executives? Your guess is good as mine. While one can blame the executives for this unjust act, one is also right to blame the members for sleeping too long. A sleep that goes beyond 24 hours is eventually concluded dead. 

In 2014, CLOGSAG Fund was introduced without members consent and nothing happened to stop it. It continues till date. There is this adage that says that, a man who desires for money is not afraid to use his son for a money ritual. Since CLOGSAG FUND continues to exist without members electing any beneficiary to that scheme, leaders had the courage again to implement Pempamsie Tier 3 scheme in February 2023 without recourse to those going on retirement this year. It is pretty clear that a man who uses his son for ritual has no regret and sympathy to the crying soul of the child. 

Now, leaders are immune to any kind of consultation and advice. They go ahead to implement anything they perceived to be good under the guise of doing things in the interest of their members.  A fruit will never be sweeter to the one who is watching it than the one who is eating it. Yes, after cried of members, leaders came out to say that they were planning better conditions for members during retirement, how is that the duty of a leader to unilaterally plan someone else retirement package? Is that to suggest that the framers of Section 3(9) of the Pension Act (Act 766), 2008 and Section 70 (1) (a) of the Labour Act (Act 651), 2003 did not know what they were doing? 

It is imperative for CLOGSAG executives to realize that members have woken up their slumber. And so, it is enough for leaders to desist and deviate from their usual position that being a leader makes you a repository of all knowledge. If CLOGSAG Executives think that the interest of their members matter to them, why are they silent on the Enhance Salary Structure issue but bend on Tier 3 scheme? 

Ghanaians woke up in January 2022 to realize that CLOGSAG was on a surprised half-day strike as a result of government failure to implement enhanced salary structure. What was the purpose of the strike, if all you could do was to sleep after calling it off? Or it was another scheme for money ritual as members guess?  This enhanced salary structure would have better the lives of members and improved members living conditions yet leaders failed woefully to update their members on it but only interested in taking away the little salary members receive under this high cost of living condition and under the guise of saving them for members.

I am not unaware of the numerous petitions sent to CLOGSAG National Officers by members but it is time for members to wake up from their slumber and say it is enough. Tell the leaders that we know you are doing things to better our lives but allow us to decide what is good for ourselves. A good dancer should know when to leave the stage. We say it is enough in its severity and so tier 3 should stop immediately. Give room for members to think independently and decide what to do with their hard earned salaries. Being a member of association should not be equated to be under slavery. 

Say No to modern day slavery!!

By Charles Dery

0541459118

Nadowli.