You can't intimidate us to return to work - GHOSPA to gov't

The striking members of the Ghana Hospital Pharmacist Association(GHOSPA) say they will not be intimidated by government to call off their strike.

According to them, they’ll only return to work, if government through the relevant agencies shows clear commitment to improve their working conditions.

This follows a call by the Employment and Labour Relations Officer, Haruna Iddrisu for members of GHOSPA to return to post, since their demands cannot be readily met as it had not been budgeted for.

But the General Secreatry for GHOSPA, Emmanuel Owusu Owiafe insists they will not soften their stance in their resolve to remain on strike until their concerns are addressed by government.

“This single spine salary Structure has made worst off as public sector pharmacists and that we’re not earning what our scores actually made us entitled to. The level of faith we have now is a little bit reduced because as at then not even the intervention by the former Chief of Staff and the committees he set up was implemented. And the NLC then was not even able to enforce its own ruling by the Fair Wages and Salary Commission. As it stands now if there’s no clear unambiguous commitment to resolving this problem we’ll be unable to go back to work”

Meanwhile, the National Labour Commission(NLC) Tuesday filed a suit at the Labour division of the High court seeking to compel striking members of the Ghana Hospital Pharmacist Association(GHOSPA) to call off their strike.

The NLC describes their action as arbitrary, hence the resort to the law court to have them call off the strike.

“We have filed a motion at the high court labour division to get a court order to get them to go to work immediately. Eventhough every worker is justified to always pressurizing the employer for better conditions of Service, and higher remuneration, they should also take note that there is a responsibility that people would not die needless deaths, the Executive Secretary of the NLC, Charles Adongo Bawa