The leadership of public sector unions has urged doctors and pharmacists in the public sector to resume work while negotiations continue.
At a meeting in Accra yesterday, the leaders discussed the strike by health workers to press home demands for conditions of service and the payment of outstanding allowances.
A statement signed by the Secretary-General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Mr Kofi Asamoah, said leaders in their discussions noted that the strikes by the doctors and pharmacists were due largely to the government’s inability to proactively address the concerns of public sector workers.
“If government had acted in good faith on the concerns of the doctors, pharmacists and nurses, the situation could have been avoided,” they said.
Proposal leakage
The statement added that it was unfortunate that the government could release proposals submitted by the Ghana Medical Association to the media.
“We condemn this act because it is a fatal flaw that undermines the negotiation and has the potential of undermining government’s credibility in all negotiations with social partners,” they emphasised.
The statement said negotiations were founded on principles of good faith and trust and nothing should be done to undermine those principles.
“We demand that the government should investigate the leakage and punish those found culpable,” the statement said.
Resume negotiations
It called on all parties involved in the current impasse to resume negotiations and refrain from any act that could further threaten industrial relations in the country.
It also urged all parties to negotiate in good faith and to work within the agreed timelines, adding that all parties should avoid discussion of issues under negotiation in the media.