Nurses threaten to go on strike

The Ghana Registered Nurses Association is threatening to withdraw services if demand for an upgrade on the single spine salary structure is not reviewed by government.

According to the president of the association, Kwaku Asante-Krobea, they are unhappy with the placing of graduate pharmacists ahead of nurses and midwives who were initially on the same level until recently.


Graduate pharmacists were upgraded after recent ruling by the National Labour Commission, which the nurses believe they have “been short-changed”.


President of the nurses association, Kwaku Asante-Krobea tells Joy News the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission have remained silent over their request for too long.


He said the new pay policy was based on job evaluation and was meant “to protect and not to distort” the levels of qualifications.


Meanwhile, Kwaku Asante-Krobea confirmed to Joy News that the leadership of the association met the Minister of Health on Monday evening where they briefed her on their demands.


He hoped she will deal with them expeditiously otherwise they will be compelled to “advise ourselves”.

He explained that when technical works were done on how people should be paid with the new pay policy, the nurses and midwives were on the same scale with pharmacists.


“Graduate entrance of nurses and midwives were put a par with the graduate entrance of the pharmacies, and therefore we are seeking to get establish that there should not be any distortion of the good work that was done.


“And if [they] are distorted it will be a recipe for disaster, and that is actually what has been done.”


He described the health sector as a jungle and only those with tough skins are able to get what they need.


Kwaku Asante-Krobea also threw his weight behind the ongoing strike by the Ghana Medical Association.


“All those things the medical doctors are addressing will have positive impact on the profession and it has to do with the concerns of the nurses as well.”