The Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) has been urged to stop deducting allowances from the salaries of Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) employees immediately in order to facilitate an amicable and successful resolution of the current impasse between the two parties. The Greater Accra Chapter of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has added its voice to these requests.
The GJA chapter in Accra stated in a statement on Monday, June 5, 2023, that "the deductions are creating serious financial, psychological, and emotional challenges for our members, a development that demands immediate attention." The statement was signed by the chapter's chairman, Charles Benoni Okine.
"It has been determined that senior management staff have lost approximately 33% of their salaries as a result of the implementation of a directive we find most troubling given that these allowances, we are told, had been fixed for the past 15 years and are part of the negotiated and approved conditions of service," he noted.
He asked the Ministry of Information to intervene immediately to stop the deductions and allow for appropriate talks on the topic, expressing amazement that "this purported 'illegality' has now come to the attention of the FWSC" after many years of implementation.
The statement from the GJA branch in Accra is below.
The Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) is being urged to stop with immediate effect deducting allowances from the salaries of our members in order to facilitate a peaceful and successful resolution of the current impasse. The Greater Accra Regional Chapter of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) would like to add its voice to these requests.
Our members are experiencing major financial, psychological, and emotional difficulties as a result of the deductions, which is a development that requires quick attention.
Since these allowances, according to what we've learned, have been set for the previous 15 years and are a component of senior management compensation, it has been determined that they have lost around 33% of their incomes as a result of the execution of a directive.
The chapter finds it puzzling that this supposed 'illegality' has only just been brought to the FWSC's attention after being in place for so long.
We ask the Ministry of Information to intervene immediately to halt the deductions and allow for appropriate deliberations on the issue.
While we will not tolerate any unlawful activity, we also believe that our members should never suffer because of an issue that was not their fault.
The public cannot remain indifferent while the strike or the deductions continue because of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation's crucial role in information transmission throughout the nation and abroad.
To prevent the nation's service from being disrupted, every effort must be made to maintain harmony and understanding at GBC. We further urge all impacted employees, including the members of our regional branch, to keep their composure and allow the authorities to take the appropriate action to preserve industrial peace.
Inscribed by Charles Benoni Okine