The joint health sector unions, professional associations have served notice to government that if by 22nd of this month, the negotiations on COLA are not completed ,they will have no choice but embark on series of actions that will disturb the industrial harmony within the sector.
The joint statement signed by union says, from 21st to 27th July, the unions will wear red wrist bands in all health facilities, from 28th to 31st July, they will withdraw OPD services and top it up with the withdrawal of In-patient services from the 1st of August .
The statement said, the industrial action has been intensified due to government’s inability to resolve the issue. The unions made a request to government for 20 per cent of their basic salary as Cost-Of-Living-Allowance (COLA) for its members in light of the prevailing difficult economic situation in the country.
General Secretary of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), one of the unions in the sector, David Tenkorang has been explaining the basis of their actions in a media engagement.
“We are a little taken aback Government did not meet teacher unions, as a matter of fact the letter inviting us to the meeting was very express. Government invited organised Labour and I reckon that the teacher union are part of the organised labour.
Government could have met us and negotiated irrespective of the fact that the teacher unions were on strike. We all know there’s financial management act in this country. By end of April, government should have finished negotiations with Public Sector Workers in respect to base pay, but that has not happened,” He said.
