ADVERTISEMENT

We will call off strike if government shows commitment - GHOSPA

They are however appealing to the public to forgive them for the challenges they are facing following their strike action.

___5486084___https:______static.pulse.com.gh___webservice___escenic___binary___5486084___2016___9___13___14___pharmacists-to-strike-friday-

GHOSPA began a nationwide strike on September 5, to protest against what it describes as persistent act of injustice, unfairness and deliberate delay by the National Labour Commission (NLC), the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) in relation to their Interim Market Premium, Grade Structure and Placement and the Conditions of Service.

Speaking on Kumasi-based Abusua FM, Chairman of GHOSPA Agyemang Badu said pharmacist do not wish to subject Ghanaians to the dilemma they find themselves in at the various government hospitals.

ADVERTISEMENT

“A  number outstanding issues including;  the Job Evaluation Review exercise and lately the Job Re-Evaluation exercise be used as a basis for the placement of pharmacists on the SSSS , existing relativities in the health sector which are backed by all previous job evaluations are upheld on the SSSS to ensure stability, equity and fairness, recommendation of the Cabinet Sub-Committee report on GHOSPA’s issues pertaining to the Grade Structure and Placement and the Interim Market Premium be adopted and implemented are yet to be resolved”, he said

“We are not happy we are on strike. We don’t want Ghanaians to see us as wicked people. It‘s not deliberate to punish Ghanaians. We just want the right things to be done to better the lives of our members”, he added.

Background

The Government and Hospital Pharmacists Association (GHOSPA) has served notice of a planned strike action over the failure of the government to address discrepancies in their market premium payment.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Within the health service, we are having discrepancies in our interim market payment even comparable to our colleague pharmacists in some public sector institutions.

"Pharmacists working in university hospitals are at a premium of 1.14 meanwhile the Fair Wages and salaries Commissions are putting pharmacists working in the Ghana health services at 0.58 and that is a huge discrepancy,” GHOSPA’s General Secretary, Emmanuel Owusu Wiafe, told Citi FM on Friday.

He continued: “We are very resolute and if things are not concluded for us where there is a clear instruction to the Ministry of Health and the Controller and Accountant General, we will not rescind on this strike.”

GHOSPA in 2015 declared a partial strike across the country over migrating them unto the Single Spine Salary Structure after four years of negotiation.

“The pharmacists have had a long haul, over four years talking about their single spine salary," Chairman of GHOSPA, Stephen told Pulse.com.gh then. "Their salaries even before they migrated were far higher than when than on the single spine. It reduced their pension and the general morale of the pharmacist was very low."

ADVERTISEMENT

There are 600 hundred pharmacists in total manning the pharmacies of government hospitals across the country.

JOIN OUR PULSE COMMUNITY!

Unblock notifications in browser settings.
ADVERTISEMENT

Eyewitness? Submit your stories now via social or:

Email: eyewitness@pulse.com.gh

ADVERTISEMENT