The National Service Personnel Association is calling for the immediate payment of two-month outstanding allowances owed to members serving in the public sector.
In an interview with Joy News, the Association expressed concern over the delay in disbursement of the allowances, which has become a recurring issue, causing hardship for graduates who depend on the stipend for their survival.
The Association is demanding the immediate payment to prevent the possibility of an industrial action. This comes as National Service Personnel in the public sector have been struggling to meet their basic needs due to the delay in the payment of their monthly allowances.
Nana Adu Gyamfi Mensah, Secretary of the National Service Personnel Association, stated that the association is currently engaged in negotiations with the government. However, he emphasized that if the government fails to honor the agreement reached during these negotiations, the association will be compelled to initiate a strike action.
“In the coming days, after probably our last meeting with the board and government, we will announce our next line of action which is to call for a strike and subsequently a demonstration,” he said.
Some personnel from the 2023-2024 batch have reported not receiving their allowances since January 2024. One personnel, Prince Boadi, expressed worry about the delayed payment of allowances.
“The delayed payment is a worry to us because as graduates our parents someway want us to be fending for ourselves so most of us depend on the allowance. If it delays, we really get worried,” he indicated.
“With the concerns of allowance, we had about four unpaid allowances with two months settled…this is not something that must happen. We are telling the scheme and government that this is unacceptable” he said.