The Minister for Employment and Labour Relations, Rashid Pelpuo, is urging the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) to suspend its planned industrial action scheduled for Monday, June 9, citing potential risks to the country’s healthcare system.
The GRNMA announced the strike on May 28, citing unresolved issues related to conditions of service. In a public appeal, Dr. Pelpuo emphasized the broader impact of such action and encouraged renewed dialogue between the government, health authorities, and the union.
“When we embark on the strike, it has a total effect on society. In whatever sector you belong to, it has a direct effect on society and development,” he said. “This means that employers and stakeholders must always work together to conclude when there is no need for a strike. Eventually, the government must listen to them, the health authorities must listen to them.”
The planned strike has also exposed divisions within the health sector. A joint statement from the National Association of Registered Midwives Ghana and the Ghana Registered Midwives Association, along with other unions, distanced themselves from the GRNMA’s decision. They disputed the GRNMA’s interpretation of a prior collective agreement.
In response, the GRNMA criticized the dissenting groups, citing a standoff internal rifts within the health sector’s labor front as well as the continued strain on public health resources amid economic and policy pressures. They accused them of failing to prioritize the welfare of nurses and midwives by not supporting the call for improved working conditions.
