The Ghana Federation of Allied Health Professions (GFAHP) yesterday directed its members to withdraw their services nationwide, in solidarity with an indefinite strike declared by the Health Service Workers Union (HSWU).
Leadership of the HSWU on Monday declared the industrial action over what it terms unfair treatment by the government towards its members.
The union alleged that the government had failed to review the conditions of service of its members as agreed upon in 2016, but rather, that of their sister unions had been reviewed on two occasions.
A statement signed by the General Secretary of the GFAHP, David Naboare, said, “GFAPHS whose membership is directly affected by the inaction of government are to respect this directive and stay home until further notice.”
“The leadership of GFAHPs informs all allied health professional bodies to approve this directive and inform its members to unconditionally and totally support HSWU in the quest for fairness and justice in the health sector,” it added.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations (MELR) has invited the leadership of HSWU to an emergency meeting over their grievances.
A letter signed by the Chief Director, Mr. Kizito Ballans and copied to the leadership of the union as well as the Director of Human Resource at the Ministry of Health (MOH), Dr. Kwesi Asabir, Deputy Minister of Finance, Abena Osei Asare and the Chief Executive Officer of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, Dr Edward Kwapong, scheduled the meeting for 4:00p.m yesterday at the MELR.
Speaking in a media interview ahead of the meeting, Nene Tei Agblo, the Greater Accra Regional Secretary said the Union willing to call off the strike once government “is able to meet us half way.”
“We are going into the meeting in good faith and our demands are that government improves our conditions of service which we have been negotiating for since 2016,” he said.
The HSWU currently has a membership strength of over 28,000, mainly paramedics,lab technicians, storekeepers, record keepers, cleaners among others working in the public health facilities across the country.#
BY ABIGAIL ANNOH
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