The acting Minister of Health, Haruna Iddrisu, has reiterated government’s appeal to doctors to call off their strike, noting their action runs counter to doctors’ own ethics and the laws of Ghana.
There have been several calls from individuals and various groups - including President Mills, the Council of State, religious bodies – on doctors to return to work, but the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) have refused to back down on their two-week industrial action, accusing the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) of exhibiting bad faith in negotiations to migrate doctors onto the single spine salary structure (SSSS).
The standoff between the GMA and the FWSC has occasioned a compulsory arbitration. The National Labour Commission (NLC) is expected to commence the arbitration process on Monday.
Commenting on the issue on Joy FM’s news analysis programme Newsfile on Saturday, Haruna Iddrisu stated: “I expected even the political opposition for the good of this country to at least be seen publicly, admonition the medical doctors that what they have done, by the ethics and values of your training and profession is unethical; under the laws of Ghana, it’s illegal and unlawful.”
The negotiations to migrate the doctors were centered on grading structure, promotion pattern and issues of market premium, he noted.
For instance, doctors had demanded that the government pay them a reasonable premium on additional hours, but the government admitted and told them that it does not have the financial backbone to meet their demand, Mr Iddrisu revealed. The government, he said, therefore proposed that for “purpose of sustainability” it would pay 50% of their request.
He stated that President Mills cancelled his trip to the Commonwealth Heads of State Meeting in Australia because “he cannot leave whilst his back is burning, with medical doctors not providing services[so he has ordered the vice president to go and represent him at the Commonwealth Meeting]that is a president demonstrating sensitivity.”
Mr Iddrisu disclosed that it is not the wish of the president for the two sides to go for the arbitration.
“They should consider, even if it means a voluntary action and return to work whilst negotiation continues with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission. We understand their issues but government is unable to do better than it is offering them today, because of its implications on the wage bill of government.”
Meanwhile, NPP stalwart and a medical doctor, Dr. Arthur Kennedy, is asking President Mills to make a direct appeal to striking doctors to call off their industrial action.
The GMA council is meeting this weekend to deliberate on their strike ahead of Monday’s compulsory arbitration at the labour commission. But NPP stalwart Dr. Arthur Kennedy says the way forward is for President Mills to personally intervene.
Story by Isaac Essel/Ghana/Myjoyonline.com
http://edition.myjoyonline.com/pages/news/201110/75198.php
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