A Doctor
It appears that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government is unable to meet its financial commitments as several workers groups are popping up to mount pressure on the government to settle its financial obligations with them.
On Wednesday, the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) and the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) announced plans to embark on a nationwide strike next week to press home their demand for better remunerations and better conditions of service.
“Today, it has become necessary for UTAG to let Ghanaians know that our patience has been stretched to the limit, and our magnanimity exhausted,” UTAG charged, while the GMA claimed its decision was “due to the delay and diversionary tactics being employed by the Fair Wages and Salary Commission (FWSC).”
This threat comes close on the heels of a crippling nationwide strike embarked on by teachers in both first and second cycle schools nationwide. The week-long strike by the teachers was called off after the direct intervention of President John Dramani Mahama, who convinced the teachers to back down.
The persistent agitations for improved conditions of service by organised labour has become problematic for the country and some labour experts have warned that if the government fails to empower regulatory and mediating bodies such as the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) and the National Labour Commission (NLC) to play leading roles, it will spell doom for the country.
A news statement issued by UTAG in Accra and signed by Dr Anthony Simon, President of UTAG, said the association was withdrawing all teaching services in all public universities “to back its demand for the immediate payment of salary arrears owed its members since 2012.”
Reneging on agreements
The doctors and the university teachers appear to have a problem with the FWSC reneging on the agreed and revised terms of services as stated in the improved salary structure: the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS).
According to UTAG, a communiqué was signed between them and the FWSC leading to “the successful migration of academic senior members of the public universities onto the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS).”
Apparently, the communiqué, among other things, defined in unambiguous terms the salary structure of academic senior members of the public universities which saw an increase of about 18 per cent.
However, in its April 2012 correspondence to the Ministry of Finance for the pay advice to UTAG members, the FWSC left out critical details from the advice, “unfortunately, the content of the advice contravened the tenets of the agreed salary structure contained in the communiqué signed between UTAG and the FWSC and resulted in pecuniary losses in monthly remunerations to UTAG members,” fumed the university teachers.
“The National Executive Committee of UTAG drew the attention of the FWSC to the anomaly and sought to have it corrected as early as April 2012 to reflect the content of the communiqué.”
However, UTAG said it received no response and after sometime, it followed up on its first letter with several others, topping up with phone calls adding “all those efforts came to naught.”
In the face of mounting frustrations of its members, UTAG took the case to the NLC for redress and the commission made recommendations for the association and the FWSC to attempt to settle the matter out of court.
UTAG said in the process, the National Security Co-ordinator intervened and facilitated the discussions and the association “co-operated and exercised considerable restraint.”
“Unfortunately, in spite of UTAG’s show of magnanimity and display of utmost restraint and co-operation in the matter, government response and attitude towards dealing decisively with the problem have been nothing other than lackadaisical and feet dragging.”
Similar Complaints
The doctors have similar complaints too, in a statement released on Wednesday by the GMA stated,“GMA cannot be attending countless fruitless meetings ad infinitum as it’s clear that, Fair Wages and Salary Commission is out to only frustrate the Ghana Medical Association and is not willing to reach any agreement.”
“GMA will like to, therefore, inform the general Public that, the suspended roadmap which led to the partial withdrawal of services by doctors in the public sector on 11th February, 2013 will unfortunately have to be reactivated very soon pending the National Executive Council of the Ghana Medical Association meeting next week,” the doctors fumed.
In February this year, the doctors had staged an industrial action but had to call it off when the National Executive Council (NEC) of the GMA agreed to a ceasefire on 12th February 2013
The decision was reached after a meeting between the GMA, National Labour Commission (NLC) and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) in Accra on 12th February, 2013.
The decision was reached after a meeting between the GMA, National Labour Commission (NLC) and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) in Accra on 12th February, 2013.
However, the doctors contend that the conditions that led to the strike are yet to be addressed despite several reminders.
Posts
