The National Labour Commission (NLC) has secured an interlocutory injunction from the Accra High Court, restricting the Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana (JUSAG), from continuing with its strike.
JUSAG began the nationwide indefinite strike on Tuesday over government’s failure to review the salaries of its members.
Both the NLC and the Judicial Service have described JUSAG’s industrial action as illegal since deliberations were already on-going and have the association to suspend the strike.
But, the Executive Secretary of the National Labour Commission, Ofosu Asamoah in a Citi News interview said the court has issued an order for JUSAG to call off its strike.
“The finality of the matter is when it is determined and that is what the Commission has begun. We gave them an order but they failed to comply. By law, if you do not comply with the order of the commission, we have to go to the High Court for enforcement and that is what we have done today. We have gone to the court to enforce it and that the court has given the interlocutory order which we are going to repeat it in 10 days. As we are talking now, the order is that JUSAG must return to work whilst the Commission continues with the resolution of the dispute. Already they are on an illegal strike and they can’t continue with it.”
JUSAG had earlier refused its strike despite a directive from the management of the Judicial Service asking the Association to return to work.
In a letter sighted by Citi News and signed by the General Secretary, Derrick Annan, the JUSAG stated that they disagree with the Judicial Service Secretariat’s call on them to return to work.
“The attention of the National Executive Council (NEC) OF JUSAG has been drawn to a press statement issued by the Judicial Secretary dated 13th November, 2019 declaring our strike as illegal and directing our members to go to work. We write to state that we, respectfully, disagree with the position taken by government,” the statement said.
Courts in the Ashanti Regional capital, Kumasi were left with frustrated patrons as officials vacated the courtrooms and offices as part of the ongoing strike.
