CLOGSAG Orders Nationwide Stay-at-Home Action Over Hostile Conditions at Births and Deaths Registry

The Civil and Local Government Staff Association, Ghana (CLOGSAG), has ordered all employees of the Births and Deaths Registry to stay away from work starting Tuesday, June 17, 2025, citing what it calls an increasingly toxic and hostile work environment under the leadership of Acting Registrar Mr. Samuel Adom Botchway.

In a strongly-worded letter dated June 12, 2025, and addressed to the Minister for Labour, Jobs and Employment, with copies to the Office of the Head of Civil Service (OHCS) and the Office of the Head of Local Government Service (OHLGS), CLOGSAG accused Mr. Botchway of persistent misconduct despite previous petitions, negotiations, and government assurances to address the leadership crisis.

According to the Association, Mr. Botchway has been “acting irresponsibly” by unilaterally transferring and reassigning staff within both the Civil and Local Government Services—actions they say are unauthorised and disruptive.

Even more troubling, the Association alleges that Mr. Botchway has verbally assaulted staff, creating what it describes as an “uncongenial atmosphere” filled with threats and intimidation.

“These actions have rendered the working environment unsafe and intolerable,” the statement declared.

It was signed by CLOGSAG Executive Secretary Isaac Bampoe Addo.

This latest escalation follows a nationwide strike in March 2025 over similar grievances, which was temporarily suspended after the Ministry of Labour pledged to mediate. However, CLOGSAG insists that since then, no meaningful progress has been made toward resolving the impasse.

At an emergency meeting on June 12, the Association’s National Executive Council (NEC) passed a resolution directing all Registry staff to stay home until a “safe and congenial working environment” is restored.

The action is expected to severely impact essential public services, including the issuance of birth and death certificates nationwide, potentially affecting both individuals and institutions that rely on such documentation for administrative and legal processes.

CLOGSAG’s decision underscores growing frustration among civil and local government workers, and puts further pressure on the government to urgently address the situation before it escalates into a broader industrial crisis.