The Local Government Workers’ Union (LGWU) has described the institution of the Sanitation Day programme as a national duty call and all citizens must participate in it.

In a New Year message to its members and workers in general signed by Mr Joe Boahen, the General Secretary on Tuesday, the Union said, the time had come for Ghanaians to adopt positive outlook toward improved sanitation.

The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development instituted the National Sanitation Day for the first Saturday of every month in November 2014.

The Union observed that such an important national exercise towards healthy environment for national progress should not be undermined through poor attitude.

“As a labour organisation, we wish to call on all employees of the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) to actively participate in the National Sanitation Programme, because poor sanitation comes with a health cost through the outbreak of preventable diseases, like cholera which invariably affects productivity.

“Let us promote sanitation consciousness to reduce the mountains of filth in our towns and cities across the country.”

The LGWU leadership called on the Local Government Ministry to expedite action on engaging graduates from Ghana’s three Schools of Hygiene who are currently at home after being trained with the tax payers’ money.

“It is our expectation that engaging the services of the graduates of the Schools of Hygiene can help immensely in ensuing improved sanitation in the towns and villages.

“We urge the Environmental Sanitation Service Providers to come up with innovative measures that will inculcate in Ghanaians the culture of waste segregation. Proper Waste segregation and management to generate revenue should be given priority in 2015.”

The leadership also promised to continue championing improved conditions of service for all categories of staff of the MMDAs and the Local Government Service.

It also pledged to resolve the anomaly of some of its members, who had suffered and continue to suffer double deduction of dues and funds as a result of the activities of CLOGSAG.

As a union, “we will continue to encourage the revenue mobilisation officials at the MMDAs to redouble their effort so that they rake in more revenue for the assemblies’ development agenda.”

On the second tier Occupational Pension Fund Management, the LGWU cautioned against any unilateral action by Government and called for an understanding to attain an amicable solution that would serve the best interest of the contributors.