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GRNMA threatens nationwide strike today …but NLC moves to stop it

The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) and Physician Assistants and Certified Registered Anaesthetics have threatened to embark on nationwide strike today, over government’s inability to fulfill the association’s demands over conditions of service.

 According to the association, the government has not fulfilled its demands over conditions of service for over 82,000 of its members, and also failed to show enough commitment to meeting the terms and conditions agreed upon.

Among some of the demands are, clothing allowance,  call credit  to be increased and extended to nurses as done for some of their staff   and risk  allowances.

The national president of the association, Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo, also denied knowledge of any court injunction slapped on it by the National Labour Commission (NLC), saying, “We have not been served.”

The NLC last Friday obtained an interlocutory injunction to restrain the association from embarking on their proposed strike beginning today, September 21.

The High Court, Labour Division, presided over by Justice Frank Aboagye Rockson, said, the injunction was for 10 days and upon its expiration, the Commission was to come back to court on notice.

Mr Ofosu-Asamoah, the Executive Secretary, stated that per the Labour Act, the association should have informed the Commission of their planned action.

He said the Commission obtained the injunction because the association falls under essential service.

According to the Labour Act 162 if any industrial dispute that affects workers engaged in an essential service, the parties to the dispute shall endeavour to settle the dispute within three days of the occurrence of the dispute by negotiation.

It said if after the expiration of the three days, the dispute remained unresolved, the parties shall within twenty-four hours of the expiry of the three days, refer the dispute to the Commission for settlement by compulsory arbitration under section 164.

The Act also indicated that the Commission shall take immediate steps but not later than three days after the dispute has been referred to it, to settle the dispute by compulsory arbitration under section 164. 

The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association Physician Assistants and Certified Registered Anaesthetics working in public health facilities across the country have threatened to withdraw their services from Monday, September 21, to press home demands for better conditions of service.

This comes after a series of negotiation meetings, which allegedly failed to yield desired results.

BY TIMES REPORTER

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