Story: Yaw Takyi

The Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana (JUSAG) has urged the public to stay off the law courts until such time that it calls off its nationwide strike.

General Secretary of the Association, Abdulai Yakubu in an interview  with the media on , indicated that all staff of the various law courts across the country have been directed to stay off work until their reviewed salaries and allowances are approved by the president.

JUSAG in a May 24, 2023  statement accused the government of consistent  dishonesty   in approving the reviewed emoluments, for which reason it has declared a nationwide strike.

“All staff of the Judiciary Service, the judiciary administrative staff are supposed to stay off work and this will include court registrars, court recorders, court interpreters, cashiers, process clerks, are all supposed to stay off work until the strike is called off. Our advice is that if you have any case that you have to bring to the court, forget about it because you won’t meet anyone at the court premises,” he said. .

The Association said its proposals to the government on the implementation of the approved cost of living allowance for members were not urgently attended to hence the industrial action.

“Colleagues may recall that the Government of Ghana introduced the Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) in July 2022 for all public sector workers including staff of the Judicial Service due to the adverse economic condition the country was and is still undergoing.

“We have suffered enough. We can no longer bear it. An empty sack cannot stand upright. The National Executive Council of JUSAG, upon consultations with the Judicial Service Ladies Association of Ghana, Senior Staff Association (SSAJUG), Driver Association, Finance Staff Association, and all stakeholders who matter, hereby declared an indefinite strike,” JUSAG added in its statement.