Former medical superintendent of the Ridge hospital, Dr Thomas Winsum Anaba has criticised the Akufo-Addo government’s reluctance to meeting the demands of the striking Medical Laboratory Professional Workers’ Union (MELPWU).
The group announced a strike on June 17 over the lack of conditions of service for its members, despite nearly two years of negotiations with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC).
The Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) and the Ministry of Health met with the leadership of MELPWU last week to negotiate their conditions of service but the meeting was inconclusive.
Dr Adu Gyamfi, Public relations for MELPWU told Power FM News that the government was not committed to meetingn their demands which they had been drumming home for the past 2 years, saying ” the government says 2 out of the 13 allowances we are demanding will only be admitted for execution.”
But Dr Anaba, who spoke to Piesie Okrah on TV XYZ Wednesday night, bemoaned the strike action by MELPWU but hastened that the government was not treating the professional laboratory workers fairly.
He wondered why a group of people rendering such an essential servie in state hospitals would be treated in a way that had to trigger a nationwide strike while CEOs of state institutions such as the Ghana Cocoa Board are drawing fat allowances for less work done.
“Some of these CEos take fat allowances; others even take allowances for entertainment,” he stated and urged the government “to sit up” and act swiftly to end the strike.
Dr Anaba, worryingly indicated that patients visiting some public health facilities for lab services have been left stranded due to the strike, as some are forced to pay for higher costs of lab services at private facilities.
He added that the strike is causing unnecessary “mortalities” that does not speak well about the handlers of the matter before the Fair wages and Salaries Commission.
Meanwhile, the General Secretary of the Medical Laboratory Professional Workers’ Union, Cephas Kofi Akortor, claims the FWSC has failed to fulfil all the promises made to the National Labour Commission, which is a contributory factor for their strike.
“Fair Wages is not being fair. Fair Wages should have been a bit more proactive in their engagement because we are essential service workers. We should not be treated like any kind of people,” he told Joy FM News on June 19.
Mr Akortor further alleges that the Commission has always treated the union with contempt.
According to him, each time the FWSC agreed to engage with MELPWU, it was always in response to a protest.
“We have never written to them [FWSC] requesting a meeting and Fair Wages will act upon that. At all times our engagement will take about three months cycle. We will have one meeting today, the next engagement will be about three months later, four months later. It has not been fair,” he added.
Source: Myxyzonline.com
