Striking laboratory workers say they are “appalled” by the actions of the Ministry of Health concerning outstanding issues, which necessitated their industrial action.
Medical Laboratory Professional Workers’ Union (MELPWU) declared a strike on June 17, following unsuccessful negotiations with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) and the Ministry of Finance on May 31, 2024, despite the National Labour Commission’s intervention.
The Ministry of Health, in a statement, later appealed to the striking laboratory workers to call off its nationwide strike and return to the negotiation table.
In an interview, the First Vice Chairman of the MELPWU, Dr Franklyn Armah, said the MoH’s statement was only a public statement and not one directed to the union.
According to Dr Armah, the union wrote directly to the MoH, informing them of their intention to strike if their concerns were not addressed.
He emphasized that it was disrespectful and unfair for the ministry to issue a statement publicly and not reach out to them.
He also revealed that the union had not been invited to any meeting to resolve the matter and that the strike was still effective.
“…It is important to put on record that our members are extremely appalled by the actions of the MoH. The reasons are that we wrote to them specifically serving notice of this intention of our members who are frustrated, and they could have written to us. But what they put out there is a public statement for everybody, and that is why we also took the same [position]. We feel that it is most unfair,” he stated.
He added, “…We have not been called; we have not been invited to have important meetings to resolve this matter”.
Meanwhile, the Health Ministry says that the government negotiations team led by the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) has had extensive engagements with MELPWU since 2023 and is guided by both internal and external relativities.
The ministry added that most of the requests made by MELPWU have been approved, with a few currently being negotiated.
It has, therefore, appealed to the professional workers to call off their strike action as the negotiations continue.
“Majority of the items proposed by MELPWU have been agreed upon by the Government Negotiations Team. However, Uniform, Special Project, Unsociable, and Communication allowances proposed by the Union are still under various stages of negotiation.
The ministry can confirm that negotiations are ongoing and therefore appeal to MELPWU leadership to reconsider its decision to strike and return to the negotiation table with the Government Negotiation Teams, which include the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations, and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission,” the statement issued by the Health Ministry on June 17, 2024, highlighted.