The nationwide strike by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA)remains unresolved, as the union has firmly rejected a government proposal to postpone the implementation of their conditions of service to 2026.
In a closed-door emergency meeting held on Monday, June 9, the Ministry of Health engaged with GRNMA leaders and other key stakeholders in an attempt to end the impasse and negotiate improved working conditions.
However, speaking to journalists after the meeting, GRNMA Vice President Samuel Alagkora Akologo revealed that the Ministry attributed its inability to meet the association’s demands to budgetary constraints.
“We were told that there was no budget provision for it, and these conditions of service were presented to the government in January. We expected that they would be factored into this year’s budget. Unfortunately, we are being told that the challenges of the implementation are such that they have budget constraints”.
According to Akologo, the government proposed deferring implementation until 2026, a move the association considers unacceptable.
“And what they wanted us to agree on was to push the implementation to 2026. What it means is that they wanted to set the conditions of the service calendar so that it will be like we have just renegotiated, and then we are moving on, so that the idea of arrears will not come in. This is not fair”.
GRNMA’s National Council is expected to review the proposal and determine the union’s next steps, as health facilities across the country continue to grapple with the impact of the ongoing strike.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health says it remains committed to engaging GRNMA further.
