General News of Monday, 8 April 2013
Source: Joy Online
Vice President of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) Dr. Sodzi Sodzi Tettey says unlike the President, the Fair Wages Salaries Commission (FWSC) and Labour Commission are not committed to resolving the labour dispute quickly.
He said though the GMA appreciates the sense of urgency the President is exhibiting to ensure a speedy resolution to the ongoing labour dispute, the association is not convinced the two organisations are as committed.
Dr. Sodzi Sodzi Tettey was speaking on Joy FM’s 6 am news Monday morning.
President John Mahama yesterday at the 56th National Prayer and Thanksgiving Service at the Black Star Square announced that government has directed FWSC and the Labour Commission to treat the industrial actions with all the urgency it deserves.
According Dr. Sodzi Tettey, the GMA have had repeated opportunities to sit with the FWSC and Labour Commission to discuss the way forward but the two agencies are only willing to discuss some issues but not others, a situation he says have persisted since 2011.
He intimated that the Labour Commission ruled that the market premium should be paid as a percentage of the basic salary, and that the way it was calculated for 2012 was erroneous.
The Commission then ordered the GMA and the FWSC to stick to the original ruling in 2011.
But the “FWSC is only prepared to discuss the matter of arrears as it pertains to 2012 and not to 2013, but we are saying that until a new ruling is made the status quo should remain”, he said.
Another issue concerns the pensions of some doctors, he said. He explains that because of the way the FWSC interpreted some of the rulings, pensions have been reduced for some doctors.
According to Dr. Sodzi Tettey, when they went back to the Labour Commission with these grievances, the Commission said it is not prepared to issue a new ruling. “This back and forth is actually worrying”, he lamented.
He assured that if the issues are resolved within the 7-day time frame they will avert an all out strike. Currently the doctors have withdrawn only out-patients services.