Nurses support doctors’ strike

The Ghana Registered Nurses Association (GRNA) has said though it supports the efforts of other public servants in embarking on the nationwide strike action, there is no agitation among its members to do same.

Mr Kwaku Asante-Krobea, President of the GRNA, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Accra, said it fully supported the strike action embarked by members of the Medical Association (GMA) for specific reasons.

He said the health sector comprised many different professionals who worked together to ensure that the safety of patients was not in jeopardy adding that “a strike action by any of the health professionals will affect the work of the other professionals in the sector and this will end up jeopardising the health of patients”.

Mr Asante-Krobea said nurses could not do the work of medical doctors and would be compelled to withdraw their services if concerns raised by doctors were not addressed urgently to end their strike.

He appealed to the Fair Wages and Salary Commission (FWSC) the Ghana Labour Commission, government and other stake holders to quickly resolve the issue regarding the salary arrears of doctors to enable them return to work.

Mr Asante-Krobea also appealed to government to resolve the concerns raised by members of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) saying “they are all compatriots at the labour front as they belonged to the Public Service Joint Standing Negotiating Committee.

He said there was no agitation among GRNA members to embark on a strike action though the Association had issues with the FWSC regarding its arrears for which steps had been initiated to resolve.

He said the GRNA was bound to the agreement reached with the FWSC to pay its members the market premium arrears in three months installments and members were currently not agitating to embark on a strike.

Source: GNA