Ghana’s public doctors call-off one month strike

The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) on Tuesday asked its members to call off its one month nation-wide strike action and restore full services effective Wednesday, May 9, 2013.

This followed a ruling by the Ghana Labour Commission (NLC) that government should restore the conversion difference which according to the doctors was the only solution to their reduced pensions.

A statement issued and signed by the President of the GMA, Dr Kwabena Opoku Adusei and copied to the Ghana News Agency, said if within the one month reprieve given nothing has been done “we will advise ourselves”.

The statement said government had at least one month to implement the directives spelt out by the NLC, which included payment of their salary arrears over three installments as stipulated.

The GMA on April 8, 2013 withdrew its services in all government hospitals in protest of what they said was the non-payment of salary arrears and market premium.

Several appeals from different groups and individual Ghanaians to the doctors to call off the strike were not adhered to as the doctors insisted they had been taken for granted and been mistreated for far too long.

Many who appealed to GMA included President John Mahama, former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, National House of Chiefs and many opinion leaders.

Source: GNA