Ghanatodayonline.com News, Politics, Health, Education & More
The Medical Laboratory Professional Workers’ Union (MELPWU) has been instructed by the National Labour Commission (NLC) to call off their strike and go back to the negotiating table with the government.
This decision comes after an urgent conference to resolve the current dispute was held on Thursday, June 20 and included officials from MELPWU, the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, the Finance Ministry, and the Health Ministry.
On June 17, the MELPWU went on strike, claiming that the government was taking too long to address their terms of employment. Public health services have been severely damaged by the strike action, which has left patients stranded and forced many to seek out more expensive diagnostic tests at private facilities.
Austin Gamey, a labor expert, expressed hope for the negotiations’ possible result, pointing out that the Commission has ordered ongoing meetings until Wednesday and that parties must attend in full.
“The Commission says we should be meeting between now [Thursday] and Wednesday, and they made potent directives that the parties should meet with mandates not just coming to meetings and we believe the Commission’s directive is potent enough to find a solution,” Mr Gamey added.
Cephas Akortor, the General Secretary of MELPWU, voiced dissatisfaction with the Commission’s ruling, nevertheless.
“We are not very happy because our expectations were not met, but all the same, we are all Ghanaians and would take the advice of the Commission,” he stated.
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com
