The Member of Parliament for Akuapim North, Sammi Awuku, has said it would be unfair to ask the Civil and Local Government Staff Association of Ghana (CLOGSAG) to call off their ongoing strike given the current economic challenges facing workers.
Speaking on Accra-based UTV, Awuku questioned the government’s claims that the economy is strong and stable while several categories of workers are struggling to receive their payments.
He pointed to reports that domestic teachers and nurses have worked for about 15 months but have received only one month’s salary.
Awuku also highlighted that prison officers and other security personnel had to repeatedly demand their allowances before they were eventually paid.
According to him, the situation indicates that in the current system, workers must continuously raise their voices before their concerns are addressed.
He further criticized what he described as an “Instagram kind of government,” suggesting the public is made to believe that the economy is performing well.
Awuku argued that the current government spent only about 30 percent of the budget approved by Parliament, leaving roughly 70 percent unused.
He explained that low government spending prevents money from circulating within the economy, making it difficult for contractors, suppliers, and workers to receive payments.
“If contractors are not paid, they cannot pay their workers, and suppliers also cannot get their money back,” he said.
He therefore maintained that if the government insists the economy is performing well, it should ensure that domestic nurses, teachers, and members of CLOGSAG receive their due payments.
“With what is happening, I will find it difficult, disingenuous, and unfair to tell CLOGSAG to end the strike,” he added.
