News

Government urges restraints over GMA industrial disharmony threat

• By EDMOND GYEBI
• April 09, 2019
• 37

Government is urging members of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) to exercise restraints over their threats of a possible industrial disharmony following the non-payment of their allowances.

The GMA had, in a statement, questioned government’s commitment to implementing an agreement reached in October 2018, aimed at providing better conditions of service for members of the Association.

It said the agreement reached with government on the non-basic salary component on the emolument of its members working with the Health Ministry and its agencies and its implementation, was expected to commence in October 2018.

The GMA said it found out following the implementation process that, government had unilaterally varied the terms of the agreement without recourse to it.

“The GMA subsequently re-engaged government where it was agreed that the anomalies will be rectified and same implemented by government effective March 2019. However, to the dismay of the GMA, government has again failed to abide by the agreed March 2019 implementation date.

“The GMA would like to urge government to, as a matter of urgency, implement fully the details of the agreements reached by both parties on the non-basic salary for is members working with the Health Ministry and its agencies without any further delay to forestall any industrial disharmony,” the statement added.

But the Deputy Employment and Labour Relations Minister, Bright Wereko Brobby, told Joy News’ Joseph Opoku Gakpo, the monies will be paid.

He stressed that government is committed to implementing the agreement reached in 2018 and the monies will be released at the end of April.

“I will plead with the GMA to continue to exercise some restraints and give government a different look by way of commitment to some of these agreements we reach with them. It is a human institution and we may promise to do something but certain constraints would set in.

“Indeed, we have an agreement with them to ensure payment of some of these monies from April and as of Friday, a lot of work has been done and a written instruction from the Finance Ministry has been sent to the Comptroller and Accountant Generals Department to ensure that by end of April, we pay the two months that is due and subsequent months,” Mr Brobbey added.

Acknowledging the poor treatment members of the GMA have been handed over the years, he said he will not begrudge them for deciding to push for things to be done right.

“So until April 30, they cannot say we have reneged,” he said.

Source: myjoyonline.com