On 7th June, The Medical Laboratory Professional Workers Union (MELPWU) announced to go on strike beginning 17th June. Their reason for the strike was revealed when the Leadership of the Union expressed their disappointment to the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) concerning their inability to finalise negotiations on their Conditions of Service.
From their statement, it was clear that the National Labour Commission, Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations and also the Finance Ministry knew about their wish to go on strike since 3rd June but no actions have been taken by these institutions to solve their problems. The General Secretary of the MELPWU, Dr. Cephas Akortor, has lamented the delaying tactics from the FWSC and that the Finance Ministry has paid deaf ears on their cry for financial clearance for the stike “Without prejudice of the directives given by the National Labour Commission on 30th May, 2024, we recognize that the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission and the Ministry of Finance are deliberately frustrating the effort of a rather peaceful Union that is ensuring that labour-management relationship does not suffer.” they said.
“Thus services provided by our members in all medical laboratories, blood banks, pathology laboratories and selected mortuary facilities will be impacted,” he went further to warned.
The Union consists of members of the medical laboratory scientists, medical laboratory technicians and medical laboratory assistants who provide laboratory diagnostics in all clinical laboratories and blood banks under the Ministry of Health and allied agencies including the Ghana Health Service, National Blood Service, Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG), Teaching Hospitals, Health Training Institutions, Ahmadiya Health Services of Ghana, and University of Ghana Medical Centre among others; who are joining forces to demand a fair deal from the FWSC.
Aside from these Laboratory professionals who offer technical services to disease control laboratories and some mortuary facilities.
