MoH appeals to striking pharmacists to return to work

The Ministry of Health (MoH)  has appealed to members of the Government Hospital Pharmacists Association (GHOSPA) to return to work while negotiations with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) continue.

“While the ministry commits itself to ensuring fair and adequate remuneration for all categories of health workers, it is the view of the ministry that this can only be done through proper procedure and respect for law,” it said.

It also urged all heads of units and directorates in all health facilities to be at post to work with the non-striking staff available and ensure continuous dispensing of medications.

A press statement issued by the MoH yesterday said all patients on admission and outpatients should have their complete supply of medication.

While it said the MoH was monitoring the situation to ensure that service delivery continued, it urged the public to remain calm as the government continued with negotiations to find an amicable settlement to the dispute.

Strike

Pharmacists in government hospitals have been on a partial strike since last Tuesday to press home their demand for fair treatment.

The pharmacists, about 600 across the country, are demanding that their salary grade structure, interim market premium and conditions of service be reviewed by the FWSC.

According to them, ever since the inception of the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS) seven years ago, pharmacists in government hospitals had been receiving lower salaries than their counterparts in other quasi-government institutions, such as the Legon Hospital and the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA).

Negotiations not concluded

According to the MoH statement, Section 162 of the Labour Act (Act 651) provided that “A party to an industrial dispute shall not resort to strike when negotiation is in progress”.

“The negotiation has not concluded. Our understanding is that the FWSC is still committed to continuing the negotiations. It is, therefore, the view of the ministry that the people of Ghana, the poor and vulnerable, as well as distressed patients, will be served, should GHOSPA continue to negotiate with a view to reaching an agreement with the FWSC,” it said.

NLC suit

The statement reminded the members of GHOSPA that as providers of essential services, they were enjoined by Section 162 of the Labour Act to refer any problems they might have with the negotiation process to the National Labour Commission (NLC). 

Meanwhile, the NLC has filed a suit at the Labour Division of the High Court seeking to compel striking members of GHOSPA to call off their industrial action.

The suit was filed on Wednesday, September 7, 2016, two days after members of GHOSPA had begun an indefinite strike to push for changes in their market premium.