Health Service Workers’ Union asks govt to implement MoU on Medical Lab Scientists

The Health Services Workers’ Union (HSWU) has called on the government to ensure the quick implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to cover all the analogous grades of the Union accordingly.

A few weeks ago, the Public Sector Medical Laboratory Scientists (GAMLS) and members of the HSWU took an industrial action to demand proper placement of some of their grades on the Single Spine Salary Structure; the creation of a Directorate for the Laboratory Services, and implementation of signed Collective Agreement for members.

According to the Union, when stakeholders met to resolve the issue, an MOU was developed and signed by Ministries of health, Labour Relations, HSWU and GAMLS on June 1, 2018, and the parties agreed to initiate the process of creating a directorate for medical laboratory services for the better health care to Ghanaians.

They also agreed to engage the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission to correct the anomalies in the placement of some cadre of staff who are members of GAMLS and the Union, and implement the signed Collective Agreements for members of HSWU.

An official statement signed by Mr Franklin Owusu Ansah, the Deputy General Secretary of HSWU and copied to the GNA said it was unfortunate that till date none of the above has been implemented.

He said the Union did not want the situation where GAMLS members may have to resort to an industrial action again as it would create unnecessary panic and suffering to the public.

Mr Ansah said the Union believed that health is a fundamental human right and that it is the responsibility of the government to guarantee the assurance of quality health for its citizens as a right.

“We want to state that should the government continue to delay in implementing the MOU and it results into any industrial action by our members the public should put the blame on the doorstep of the government and not our members.

“Do we have to wait until there is a fire before we make frantic efforts to fight it,” he asked and called on the government to take urgent steps to correct the numerous challenges confronting the healthcare systems in the country.

The Union asked the government to prioritise the improvement of health infrastructure to ensure that health care delivery strictly conforms to best practices and standards.

It also called on Parliament as the oversight body, to regularly monitor the programmes and activities of the Ministry of Health so that all times the interest of the nation would be protected.