Doctors to be paid August salary despite strike

Doctors of public hospitals will be paid their August salaries despite its strike condemned by government as illegal.

The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has decided to suspend its 24-day-old strike with effect from Monday, August 24, 2015.

The GMA, therefore, appealed to all its members to restore full service on the said date.

A press release issued at the end of an emergency meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the GMA in Accra yesterday signed by both its President, Dr Kwabena Opoku-Adusei, and the General Secretary, Dr Frank Serebour, however, said negotiations on their conditions of service would continue.

Employment and Labour Relations minister Haruna Iddrisu has indicated that the government has rescinded its decision to suspend the salaries since the doctors have called off their strike to allow negotiations to take place.

“When you are building bridges you need to change your posture,” Iddrisu told Accra-based Joy FM. “I don’t think any medical practitioner will suffer as a result of the action they embarked upon.”

“Where it is necessary and compelling we have no hesitation in enforcing it,” the minister said in reaction to why teachers’ salaries were frozen for embarking on a similar action.

He said “I do not think that any medical practitioner will suffer as a result of the action that was embarked upon, the consequence, regrettable as it may be.”