Tensions are rising within Ghana’s labour front as nurses and midwives express disappointment over the omission of their conditions of service in the supplementary budget presented by Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson.
The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) is angry over what they describe as a betrayal by the government. Over 125,000 nurses and midwives across the country were expecting their conditions of service to be formally captured in the budget.
However, Dr. Forson explained that the issue was not included because his team failed to brief him adequately. This explanation has not sat well with the GRNMA, who feel misled by the government.
“Have we been deceived or is the Minister of Finance getting us to agitate again? That is the sense we get on our platforms,” GRNMA President Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo asked in an interview.
Mrs. Ofori-Ampofo is urging calm among members, assuring them that leadership is actively engaging the government.
“We have trust in the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission that led the previous negotiations, we have trust in our employer which is the Ministry of Health, we will wait to see what happens,” she said.
The GRNMA president insists that the association will not relent in pushing for what is due to its members. As the situation unfolds, all eyes are on the government to act swiftly and avoid further agitation on the already tense labour front.
