‘Improve working conditions for doctors, mortuary workers’ – Haruna Iddrisu

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The Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu wants government to pay attention to workers in the health sector especially doctors and mortuary workers.

His call comes at a time mortuary workers are threatening an industrial action over their conditions of service.

Contributing to a statement on workers day scheduled for Wednesday, he called for greater peace on the labour front.

“Mr. Speaker, when mortuary workers go on strike, they allow bodies to decompose on the floors. We need to do something about this including the Ghana Association of Workers who want improved conditions of service.”

“Arguably the parliamentary service that you are seeking to improve [their welfare] with revised conditions of service, we have to make it an essential service provider so that tomorrow they will not say they are also going on strike. There are health workers [too]. Even as we appeal to them, there are still some workers within the GMA [Ghana Medical Association], that government must do well to implement the codified conditions of service that we agreed with them.”

The Mortuary Workers Association of Ghana (MOWAG) has served notice of embarking on a second nationwide strike despite an upcoming meeting between the association and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission.

According to the Association, the strike is to register their displeasure over what they describe as government’s reluctance to meet their demands.

Earlier this year, the workers embarked on a similar strike to protest over poor working conditions and salaries.

Speaking to Citi News, the General Secretary of the Mortuary Workers Association, Richard Jordan said the strike will come off after the May Day celebration.

“The strike is coming off on the 2nd of May. Nothing so far suggests that it will not come off. On the 1st May we will represent to celebrate the May Day and the following day, we will be absent from work. The strike action will start fully. The Fair Wages and Salaries Commission has given us a letter to come to the Commission on Monday for a meeting. We will go to that meeting in good faith but the strike per our decision, is still on,” he said.

The mortuary workers have been in the news over their numerous calls on authorities to address their issues of low salaries and poor working conditions.

The association called off a strike they held earlier this month on the third day after a meeting with the National Labour Commission with the hope that their grievances would be met.

They said they had seen no progress of the said negotiations, hence the upcoming strike.

Don’t embark on strike, let’s negotiate – MoH

The Ministry of Health last week assured the association of plans to upgrade the salaries and conditions of service of its members.

While the Health Ministry has admitted that a job evaluation, which is a prerequisite for increasing their salaries, might take a while to complete, it’s Public Relations Officer, Elorm Ametepe said it will be prudent for the mortuary workers to continue with the negotiations.

By: citinewsroom.com