Veterinary officers to declare nationwide strike on January 2 if...

efua

December 26, 2015 6:20 PM

The Vets are demanding payment of their market premium which is currently being enjoyed by other workers in the health sector.

Members of the Veterinary Medical Technical Association of Ghana (VeMTAG) have served notice that they will embark on a nationwide strike beginning January 2, 2016.

President of VeMTAG, Emmanuel Eshun accused government of showing little interest in resolving their grievances.

Speaking to Accra-Based Joy FM, Mr. Eshun recounted that the National Labour Commission (NLC) early on invited them for a discussion but nothing fruitful came out of it.

On Monday, December 14, 2015 all regional branches of the association began a partial strike to demand payment of their Interim Market Premium, which has been outstanding since 2011.

The leadership of the association has had been in talks with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) at the Labour Commission but no resolution has been reached.

Mr. Eshun indicated that members of the association “began the road map by wearing our red arm bands and not working fully. The Labour Commission invited us for a discussion so we called it off but from all indications, responsible parties have not been truthful to the process.”

He warned that VeMTAG members have reactivated their initial roadmap which was earlier abandoned

“We have been working from 8 am and closing at 5pm so all activities which are outside this period will not be done – meat inspection, diagnosis of diseases, inspection of animals before slaughter, inspection of animals before movement at the borders will all not be done,2 he said.

According to him, the President and the Chief of Staff; people who know the security implications, the economic implications and the health implications haven’t done anything. We shouldn’t slight this at all.”

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