NLC must apologise to striking nurses over court move – GMA

The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has called on the National Labour Commission (NLC) to apologise to the striking nurses and midwives over the decision to block their industrial action in court.

According to the GMA Chairman of the Ashanti region, Dr Paa Kwesi Baidoo, the move by NLC has the tendency to provoke the health workers.

The NLC went to court last Friday in an attempt to block the strike which had been planned for Monday, September 21.

Speaking to Francis Abban on the Morning Starr Tuesday, Dr. Kwesi Baidoo appealed to government to quickly address the concerns of the nurses so they can return to work.

“I think the labour commission should apologize to nurses for the stance they wanted to take. Going forward, they shouldn’t employ such tactics. Once you go to court in that manner you make people angry. These are people who have sacrificed so much, they have given everything.

“They are asking that the same hospitals they are working they are given some basic care and leverage and not to continue with the situation where when they are sick they are asked to pay initial cost before they are treated,” he told Morning Starr host Francis Abban.

He also accused successive governments of neglecting the welfare of health workers.

“I am honestly not surprised that the condition of service hasn’t been addressed. I will say successive governments for a lack of a better word haven’t respected the condition of service of health workers. In the midst of this pandemic, this is a bad situation so if President Akufo-Addo is listening, please take personal responsibility and deal with this matter.”

Background

Nurses and midwives across the country commerced strike action on Monday, September 21,2020 over poor conditions of service.

It comes after the failure of government to agree with the health workers on their demand for improved conditions of service.

A press release by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association noted “having reconvened in the meetings held on 15th and 16th September 2020 the posture of the Employer changed for the better but did not meet the expectation of the majority of Nurses, Midwives, Physician Assistants and Certified Registered Anaesthetists in Ghana.”

The statement, therefore, directed its members to stay away from work until the outstanding issues are addressed with their employer.

Meanwhile, an Accra High Court on Friday granted an interlocutory injunction application by the National Labour Commission against the strike.

The move by the court presided by Justice Frank Aboagye Rockson is to stop the health workers from their industrial action.