Health service workers union adopts resolutions

Kumasi, June 19, GNA-The Ashanti Regional executive council of the Health Services Workers Union (HSWU) has expressed concern about deductions from the salaries of some of its staff at the Mampong District Hospital towards the Civil Servants Association (CSA) Savings and Loans scheme and the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). In a resolution adopted by the Council at its meeting in Kumasi on Friday signed by eight of its members, the union appealed to the CSA to stop the deductions forthwith and pay all monies deducted with interest. It said failure to pay the monies; the union will employ all means at its disposal to stop it from trampling on their rights.

The resolution also said in July 2003, the Ashanti regional branch of the CSA was able to convince the over 90 of its staff at the Mampong hospital to contribute 20,000 cedis monthly towards the schemes. It said the members, after making some contributions through the Accountant General's Office in Accra, decided to opt from the association and therefore, informed it to stop the deductions and pay back their monies to them.

The resolution stated that all efforts by the staff to stop the deductions have failed and described its action as illegal. The union said that the action of the association contravenes Section 21 (1) of the 1992 Constitution and Section 79 of the Labour Act 2003 (651), which says, "it is the exclusive right of each worker to join or not to join any association".

The union further said the members even did not complete any enrolment form to join the association and called on the association to stop the deductions and pay back their monies to them.