Health services at the major hospitals across the country will be interrupted today [Wednesday] February 3, 2016, as over 7,000 nurses belonging to the Coalition of Unpaid Nurses and Midwives, are embarking on an indefinite nationwide strike from today, to demand unpaid salaries.
According to the group, they have had to embark on the action because of the refusal of government to honor its pledge to pay them, a situation that is affecting their livelihoods.
[contextly_sidebar id=”fdgx8mE4aHavHe7lSVrAFpca1sgNQT9p”]A National Coordinator of the group, Douglas Adu-Fokuo, believes the strike will compel government to pay what is due them.
He explained that the health ministry had earlier announced that it had issued clearance for over 7,000 nurses adding that the assurance suggests that they will be paid all their accumulated salaries.
“We the Coalition kept quiet on this issue and started a survey to collate data. Surprisingly, only 30 percent of the 7,000 were paid,” he stated.
Adu-Fokuo further explained that “we are embarking on this strike because the negotiations we were having with government officials and authorities involved have failed and we can’t continue. Everyday, we are given unfulfilled promises; enough of the promise. This time we want to see action. We want to see the money reflecting in our accounts before we call off the strike, if not we will still be in our homes and we won’t go to work.”
Nurses across the country in October last year resumed work after a week-long strike over the same issue.
The call-off followed assurances that the Controller and Accountant General had released an amount of GHc756, 000 to pay them.
–
By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana