General News of Tuesday, 11 August 2015
Source: citifmonline.com
Employment and Labour Relations Minister, Haruna Iddrisu
The salaries of striking doctors are likely to be frozen by government.
A statement from the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations reminded the doctors and all other striking public sector workers that under the provisions of the Labour Act 2003 (Act 651), a worker on strike, “may forfeit his/her remuneration in respect of the period during which he/she is engaged in the illegal strike.”
The doctors are on strike after government failed to satisfy their demands on conditions of service.
The statement further directed “all heads of government establishments where workers have embarked on illegal (partial or full) strike actions to compile and submit to their respective Ministers of State the list of workers who have been absenting themselves from work as a result of a strike or protest.”
The compiled lists are to be submitted to the Ministry of Finance on or before Friday August 14, 2015 for necessary action.
Government again reiterated its appeal to public sector workers presently on strike to call off their action and return to work while negotiations continue in “good faith.”
Meanwhile, government has presented a counter proposal to the demands made by the Ghana Medical Association (GMA).
The doctors have among other things, proposed that government provides them with 40% of their basic salary as accommodation allowance as well as 100, 90 and 80 gallons of fuel per month for the different levels of the profession.
They further demanded that government provides them with 50% of basic salary per month as professional allowance.
They have also demanded clothing allowance of 30% of their basic salary every month. However in a statement jointly signed by the Chief Executive of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, George Smith Graham, and Deputy Minister of Finance, Cassiel Ato Forson, government said it can only provide 50, 40 and 30 gallons of fuel for Senior Specialist to Consultant, Principal Medical Officer to Specialist and House officer to Senior Medical Officer respectively.
President Mahama has already stated emphatically that he will not authorise any payment to public sector workers outside the budget but the doctors say their demands are targeting the 2016 budget.