The Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana (JUSAG) has warned that its members working at the Supreme Court will be directed to stay away from work if the ongoing strike is not resolved by the end of this week.
General Secretary Abdulai Yakubu said the association had already instructed its members at the apex court to ensure that Wednesday’s sitting was the last to take place with their assistance while the industrial action continues.
Speaking on JoyNews’ The Pulse on Thursday, November 5, Yakubu said JUSAG was initially surprised that the Supreme Court continued sitting after the strike began.
He explained that the association’s leadership engaged its members after the court held its first sitting during the strike, expecting it to be an isolated occurrence. However, the leadership was taken aback when the court sat again on Wednesday.
“After the Wednesday sitting, we have given an indication to our members who work at the Supreme Court that let the Wednesday sitting be the last of its kind,” he said.
Yakubu clarified that the association was not seeking to prevent the Supreme Court from conducting its business but objected to judicial service staff being required to facilitate proceedings while the strike remained in force.
He said the court did not sit on Thursday and suggested it might also not hold proceedings on Friday.
The JUSAG general secretary warned that if no agreement was reached by the end of the week, all staff working at the Supreme Court would be instructed not to report for duty.
“If we don't get any resolution by the close of this week, the message we have for our members who work at the Supreme Court is that no one should turn up at the Supreme Court, and let no management member or anybody coerce any staff to violate any part of this strike,” he said.
Yakubu also argued that the industrial action was protected under international labour laws to which Ghana is a signatory.
