KATH: NLC’s directive to end strike unfair - Lab scientists

Striking Lab Scientists at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital have accused the National Labour Commission (NLC) of unfairness after directing them to call off their strike.

According to the workers, they are yet to officially receive the NLC’s letter communicating the directive, however, copies they have cited on social media fails to address their concerns and simply directs them to call off their strike without also calling management of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital to order.

Chairman of the KATH chapter of the Ghana National Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists Ernest Badu Boateng told Starr News they remain on strike and will respond accordingly to the NLC when they officially receive the letter.

He said “I have not received a directive. I had just read it on the news and seen it on Whatsapp by clicking and then I’m done. I’ve not received any hardcopy letter from NLC as I speak to you [May 27; 5 pm]. We asked NLC whether it’s an ‘aboboya’ or plane that is bringing it.

“I don’t know the means that they sent these letters. So, as of now I need to wait and receive it officially, and then I can respond to it on behalf of my members.”

He added “it’s within their rights to go to court to enforce their directive, and it wouldn’t be the first time NLC have done that. “Reading from even what I’m seeing on social media, you are directing us to come for a meeting and to suspend our strike. The reason for the strike, they didn’t address that but went ahead calling us for a meeting.”

“As for social media, the letter, some is addressed to Komfo Anokye, they are a party to this matter, so they are the ones who put the two physicians who the dermatology unit causing this be brouhaha, so once you are directing us to suspend the strike, I was expecting that the same letter will equally direct them to withdraw the two doctors back to the internal medicine directorate where they originally are.”

He ended by saying “that would be a fair play but they are asking us to suspend our strike whilst not asking the other party to also do half for the issue to be resolved by you. So, are they trying to love one than the other? So, I don’t see this as fair, I think the NLC is not treating us fairly.”

The growing row started around the third week of May 2021, when two doctors were posted to the laboratory unit of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH).

The action was greeted immediately by medical laboratory scientists at the facility with a sit-down strike that left patients stranded in the Ashanti Region.