Health workers cautioned

The National Labour Commission (NLC) has advised the Health Workers Group (HWG) to rescind its decision to embark on a strike for better conditions of service and rather address its concerns within the framework of the existing law and ensure compliance.

The Commission pointed out that the group had not exhausted the necessary procedures under the law before announcing its intention to go on strike.

The NLC's advice was contained in a statement issued in Accra by the Ministry of Health, which asked the health workers to allow it time to deal with the issues, before it, and not take any action that will derail the settlement process.

According to the statement, "the NLC made it clear that the HWG had not satisfied the requirements of Section 159 before serving notice to embark on a strike action, and so any action taken at this time will be in contravention of the law".

The health workers, at a press briefing in November last year said they were giving the government two weeks, (end of November) to announce higher wages they have been expecting since June when the two parties signed a memorandum of understanding on a new salary scheme.

The group said government was only trying to buy time with the proposed setting up of the Fair Wages Commission next year, and it was not going to wait for that.

The group said after negotiations in June, government was to start implementation by September. However, two weeks to the date, government wrote to ask for the end of October to honour its part of the bargain which it again failed to honour.

Source: The Ghanaian Times