Health Workers Serve Notice To Strike Over COLA
Various health workers have served notice they will be compelled to strike in the coming days, if government fails to conclude negotiations for the Cost Of Living Allowance (COLA), they have been demanding.
The health workers are the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), Health Services Workers’ Union (HSWU).
The intended strike will begin on Friday July 22 in the event that government is unable to meet their demand.
The declaration yesterday follows a request to government for 20 per cent COLA in the light of the prevailing economic situation in the country.
According to them, “Unfortunately, like other members of organized labour, we are yet to receive a favourable response from government,” a statement they issued on Wednesday July 13 said.
They continued “We, therefore, serve notice to government as an employer that if by 22nd July, 2022 the negotiations on COLA is not completed, the aforementioned health sector unions will have no other choice than to embark on a series of actions as spelt out below which will in no doubt disturb the industrial harmony within the health sector:
“25th to 27th July, 2022 Wearing of red arm/wrist bands in all health facilities.
“28th to 31st July, 2022- Withdrawal of Out-Patient Department (OPD) Services
“1st August, 2022- Withdrawal of OPD and In-patient services,” the health workers said in a statement.
They are the fourth group of government workers to embark on industrial action after some four teacher union took similar action last week Monday.
The teacher unions are Ghana National Association of Teachers(GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teachers, (NAGRAT), Coalition of Concerned Teachers, Teachers’ and Educational Workers’ Union (TEWU) who declared strike following failure of government to meet their demands to approve the 20 per cent COLA.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Senior Staff Association of Universities of Ghana ordered its members to embark on an indefinite strike over the 20% Cost of Living Allowance (COLA).
They also want the government to pay their accrued interest on tier two pension arrears from 2016 to 2021.
Announcing the declaration of the strike at a press conference in Accra on Wednesday July 13, National Chairman of the SSA UOG, Isaac Donkor, alleged that the CEO of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) threatened to block their salaries if they go on strike.
The association has been demanding that government applies fairness in the payment of allowances to public workers in Ghana.
“The CEO of FWSC Ing Ben Arthur has threatened to withhold all salaries of senior staff if we embark on strike.
We believe that his posture was intimidating and also an affront to the position he occupies as a public officer who preaches equity but practices none. We are daring him on his claim.
“His action has even triggered our resolve for the strike action. We still maintain our position that the government has been unfair to the senior staff in public universities in Ghana.
“In our candid opinion, the payment of allowance to selected few within the senior staff associations in public universities and our compatriots in other unions is unscientific and discriminatory. We therefore ask government to act fairly towards senior staff in public universities.” he said.
Addressing the media, the National Chairman of the Association, Isaac Donkoh urged their members to withdraw their services until they get positive feedback from the government.
“Today, the Senior Staff of Public Universities will address you. I want to make this clear to all our workers. With this particular strike, we will not exempt any staff. Teaching staff, you are going home. Principal staff, you are going home. Drivers, you are going home.”
“Yesterday they threatened to freeze our salaries [if we embark on strike] and we will tell them we are capable [of declaring the strike]. We have said if we do not hear anything positive from them, we will lay down our tools. We are demanding 20 percent COLA and nothing else.”
Speaking to Citi News, some association members dared the commission to go ahead with it threat to withhold their salaries.
Similarly the Public Services Workers Union (PSWU) has served notice that its members will strike from Tuesday, July 19, 2022 for the same reason as their other counterparts.
The union said industrial action had become necessary due to the worsening economic conditions in the country.
This was contained in a letter signed by the General Secretary of the PSWU, Bernard Adjei and addressed to the National Labour Commission, the Presidency, Ministry of Employment and Labour Relation, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of National Security and the Trades Union Congress.
The letter said the decision to strike was taken at an emergency meeting on July 8.
“This follows the failure of Government (Our Employer) to respond and or honour the request for payment of Cost-of-Living Allowance at 20% of Basic Salaries to ameliorate the economic hardship currently faced by members,” the letter reads.
“It could be recalled that on May 1, 2022, Organized Labour led by the Trades Union Congress (Ghana) and on behalf of all workers of Ghana made a request for the payment of COLA to workers.
“This was followed by a formal request to His Excellency the President of the Republic of Ghana on 24th June 2022, which unfortunately has not been honoured”.
It said its decision to accept a 7% salary increment for the year 2022 had been thrown out of gear by the rising cost of living.
“In the midst of rising cost of living, inflation currently pegged at 27.6% (with a propensity to rise further), and pending astronomical increases in utility tariffs, the economic analysis which formed the basis of our acceptance of a 1-year salary increment for the year 2022 has obviously been thrown out of gear,” the letter reads.
“Considering the worsening economic challenges, members of the PSWU are left with no other option but to draw attention to their economic wellbeing.”
Source: theanchorghana
