The strike by the Civil and Local Government Staff Association of Ghana (CLOGSAG), which commenced on March 9, has begun to disrupt public administration in Kumasi, as workers withdraw their services over concerns about delayed conditions of service.
The nationwide industrial action has forced many government institutions to suspend operations, leaving clients to bear the brunt of the situation.
At the Births and Deaths Registry regional office, the busy premises were unusually quiet, with empty chairs replacing the typical crowds.
Staff have vacated their posts in compliance with the strike directive issued by CLOGSAG.
Several individuals who had visited the office to access services were left stranded and had to return home without being attended to.
“It is frustrating to come here early in the morning hoping to obtain my son’s birth certificate, only to find empty offices with no one available to attend to me. Government should engage the striking workers and resolve the issues quickly so they can resume work as soon as possible,” James Owusu said.
The situation was not different at the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department, where offices remain closed as staff have stayed away from their desks in line with the directive.
“I came all the way from Mampong to correct an anomaly on my payslip. I knocked on several office doors, but no one came out to attend to me. I’m now confused about what to do next,” Stella Amponsah, a teacher, stated.
Across many districts and municipal assemblies, routine administrative duties such as processing official documents, coordinating government programmes, and providing essential public services have been temporarily suspended due to the absence of staff.
The strike follows what the Association describes as prolonged delays by government authorities in implementing an agreed salary structure and improved conditions of service for civil and local government workers.
Despite a directive by the National Labour Commission asking the Association to suspend the strike and return to the negotiation table, CLOGSAG leadership has instructed members nationwide to stay away from work until their concerns are addressed.
Meanwhile, labour authorities and government officials are expected to engage the union in negotiations aimed at resolving the impasse and restoring normal operations in the public service.
