The Medical Laboratory Professional Workers’ Union (MELPWU) has suspended its two-week strike.
The leadership of the union has asked members to resume work effective Monday, June 24, 2024.
However, it added that Monday is to prepare their materials and officially begin rendering services on June 25.
This comes after a meeting with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) and the National Labour Commission (NLC).
MELPU has, however, threatened to resume the strike action if the government fails to address their concerns as soon as possible.
It followed unsuccessful negotiations with the FWSC and the Ministry of Finance on May 31, 2024, despite the NLC’s intervention.
The strike affected services by their members in medical laboratories, blood banks, pathology laboratories, and selected mortuary facilities across the country.
The Ministry of Health (MoH), in a statement, later appealed to the striking laboratory workers to call off its nationwide strike and return to the negotiation table.
The ministry said 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.
It added that most of the requests made by MELPWU have been approved, with a few currently being negotiated.
However, the striking laboratory workers said they were “appalled” by the actions of the Ministry of Health concerning outstanding issues, which necessitated their industrial action.
They said the MoH’s statement was only a public statement and not one directed to the union.
According to the First Vice Chairman of the MELPWU, Dr Franklyn 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.