General News of Thursday, 29 July 2004

Source: GNA

National Service Personnel threaten mass demonstration

Accra, July 29, GNA - The Leadership of the National Service Personnel Association of Ghana (NASPA) on Thursday threatened to stage a demonstration to back their demand on the Government to pay arrears owed them since the minimum wage went into effect last March.

The Government's decision to pay their arrears from July instead of March did not reflect the terms of conditions of salary structure stated under the Civil Service Scheme, they said at a press conference in Accra.

They registered their concern about Government's "inaction" on the increase of allowances due them.

Speaking on half of Association, Mr Sylvester Bekyieriya, an Executive Member of NASPA, said Service personnel were paid about 75 per cent of a fresh graduate's entry salary in the Civil Service. They had been waiting to se this reflected in their salaries since the new minimum wage was announced but nothing had been done. Mr Bekyeiriya said the Leadership of the Association was surprised at the way Government officials were handling the case.

He said the Association would resort to other democratic means available to it such as the Commission for Human Right Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to seek redress.