GHANA-DOCTORS' STRIKE Ghana doctors threaten mass resignation if pay demands unmet

Record ID: 144055

  • Title: GHANA-DOCTORS' STRIKE Ghana doctors threaten mass resignation if pay demands unmet
  • Date: 12th August 2015
  • Summary: ACCRA, GHANA (RECENT) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF KOFI DAVOR, LABOUR ANALYST READING NEWSPAPER WITH HEADLINE READING: "HEALTH SECTOR FACES CRISIS AS GMA, GOVERNMENT TALKS BREAKDOWN" (SOUNDBITE) (English) KOFI DAVOR, LABOUR ANALYST SAYING: "On the face of the law it is illegal. I mean when you're negotiating or talking to somebody and you embark on a strike with the view to pressu
  • Embargoed: 27th August 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Ghana
  • Country: Ghana
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA4R5IE1ZGEVNLSEC11BCG5463P
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: PLEASE NOTE EDIT CONTAINS 4:3 MATERIAL
    Striking doctors in Ghana's public health facilities have threatened to quit if negotiations with the government fail to yield results.
    The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has said the doctors would either call off the strike or resign en masse on Friday (August 14).
    Some 2,000 doctors in Ghana's public health facilities withdrew emergency services and have only been attending to in-patients.
    The action has mostly affected the poor and underprivileged who depend solely on public health care.
    Accra resident, Okpoti was hoping to see her obstetrician this week but was unable to do so.
    "The doctor asked me to come today. When I was here last week, he asked me to do a haemoglobin test and present it to him but when I came he wasn't available and he's on strike," she said.
    The strike which was started on Friday (August 7) began as part of demands for improved allowances and other non-salary benefits.
    "This looks a little absurd because the very labour laws we worked with in this country mandates that employees especially professionals like us (doctors) should have these arrangements in place, we have done our onmost best to ensure that this is done it hasn't happened and we've gotten to a point where we're saying enough is enough," said Dr. Justice Duffu Yankson, Deputy General Secretary, Ghana Medical Association (Gma).
    Ghana, which exports cocoa, oil and gold, is under a three-year aid program with the International Monetary Fund to stabilise its economy, dogged by slowing growth, widening debt and a stubbornly high budget deficit partly attributed to a heavy public wage bill in the last election year.
    The government says it is determined to strictly follow the austerity measures outlined in the budget and would not approve release of money for higher salaries.
    "Any agreements that are reached in respect of allowances or conditions of services would have to be appropriately captured in the budget and I want to say for emphasis that I will not authorise any expenditure on wages and compensation not provided for in the budget. Fiscal discipline requires that not a single Pesewa is spent on remuneration outside what has been budgeted for," said President John Dramani Mahama.
    Ghana spends 50-55 percent of its tax revenues on public sector wages and compensation, down from 70 percent three years ago and analysts say any rise in the wage bill could derail medium term macro targets.
    Others like labour analyst Kofi Davor are also critical of the strike.
    "On the face of the law it is illegal. I mean when you're negotiating or talking to somebody and you embark on a strike with the view to pressurising the person to meet your demands, it is just like putting the gun at the person's head and telling him to accede to your demands. It is never done in any negotiations. Everybody must have that atmosphere that enables him to talk faithfully and truthfully to the other party," he said.
    Apart from the doctors, university teachers have also announced withdrawal of services over delays in the payment of their book and research allowances. Other public sector workers, including psychiatric nurses, have also threatened to strike.
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