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The various unions and associations of health workers in the country have refused to sign the final document for the conditions of service for health workers.
According to the leadership of the various unions and associations, they have not seen the final copy of the said document they were supposed to sign.
The group who apparently did not even know they were going to sign the health works condition of service document demanded they studied the document and negotiated the terms and conditions before signing.
Dr Justice Yankson, Deputy General Secretary of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), who was at the ministry, said the GMA could not sign because “negotiations have not been done so we cannot sign the document.”
Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Health, Tony Goodman, mentioned that the various unions needed more time to study the content of the document before signing.
When asked if they had negotiated the terms and conditions with the union, he said there had been meetings but could not tell if a common ground was reached with regards to the document.
Mr Goodman was hopeful the unions and associations would finish studying the document before Friday for it to be signed.
It would be recalled that the GMA at the beginning of this month gave government an ultimatum to provide a condition of service for its members or face a strike action.
Government in swift response to the threat by the Medical Association of Ghana (GMA) quickly formed a technical working group to look at the formulation of the conditions of service for health workers.
The technical working group two weeks ago presented a draft copy to the health minister and the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Haruna Iddrisu for finalisation.
The two ministers promised to finalise the draft and negotiate the terms and conditions before the end of the month which is the deadline for the ultimatum given by the GMA.
But it looks like time is catching up on the promise they gave, hence the perceived rush to get the health workers unions and associations to sign the document when they have not had the chance to study it and negotiate the terms and conditions.
The adamant unions on the other hand are standing by their word and demanding a systematic process to arrive at a mutual understanding before they sign the document.
