Medical Laboratory Professional Workers’ union to go on strike for CoLA

The Medical Laboratory Professional Workers’ Union (MELPWU) has declared its support for Organised Labour’s call for a Cost-of-Living-Allowance (CoLA).

According to the Union, it would be compelled to join the ongoing indefinite strike by teacher unions, if the government failed to negotiate and pay the 20 per cent CoLA to cushion workers.

“As a Union that holds the bargaining right for medical laboratory professionals, it noted that we cannot restrain our members when it becomes necessary to join forces to press home the demand for the payment of CoLA if we find the government not to be acting in the best interest of workers,” the union said in a statement signed by Cephas Kofi Akortor, General Secretary of MELPWU and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Wednesday.

It noted that the economic hardships in the country were affecting all public sector workers including medical laboratory professionals. “We believe that the payment of a 20 per cent CoLA, as demanded by Organised Labour, though not sufficient, will cushion workers a little against the increasing cost of living,” it said

Cost of living, according to the union, is tied to wages so when prices of goods and services go high, more money is needed to pay for them.

“The cost of basic goods and services in the country including the non-negotiable ones such as housing, lorry fares, food, water, clothing, taxes, healthcare, fuel just to mention a few have all gone up. The employer must urgently intervene.

“We are therefore urging the employer to negotiate with Organised Labour in good faith and give a solution to cushion workers and retirees,” it stressed.

Source: GNA