Dr Frank Serebour, Vice-President of the Ghana Medical Association
(GMA), has said doctors do not take pleasure in using strikes as a
bargaining tool.
According to him, although they are aware of the adverse effects of
their industrial action, they have no option than to resort to same
since government has failed to listen to their concerns.
Doctors in the country have threatened an indefinite strike, effective
Monday, 6 August 2018, until a list of their demands are met by
government.
All doctors in the public sector will withdraw their outpatient services
until August 19 and heighten the industrial action by withdrawing
emergency services from 20 August until 27 August when they declare a
full-blown strike if their demands are still not met.
The GMA arrived at this decision at their 4th National Executive Council
meeting held at Jirapa in the Upper West Region from 27 – 28 July 2018.
According to the GMA, the issue of doctors having suffered reduced
pensions following their migration onto the single spine pay policy; and
non-payment of conversion differences, is still outstanding since
December 2011, in spite of the NLC’s compulsory arbitration award which
binds both parties and subsequent directive from the NLC to government
to correct same.
The GMA also accused government of not fully implementing their condition of service document signed in October 2015.
The Association also bemoaned the “inequitable distribution of critical
healthcare staff which has resulted in most deprived communities not
receiving the desired standard of care.”
They are calling on government to consider the incentive packages
recommended by the GMA at its Annual General Conference held in Tamale
in November 2010.
Speaking on Ghana Yensom hosted by Chief Jerry Forson on Accra 100.5FM
on Monday, 30 July, Dr Serebuor said: “It is not as if we take delight
in fighting for a better condition of service, we don’t take delight in
strike at all but the situation demands that we do this to achieve our
purpose.”
He added: “We don’t sit and say we are just thinking about ourselves, we
think of Ghanaians and at the same time we also think about ourselves,
we are also workers who are entitled to certain benefits.”
COPIED FROM
www.ghanaweb.com
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