Union lauds govt's quick response to revised pay

Accra, Dec. 18, GNA - The National Secretariat of the Health Services Workers' Union (HSWU) of the Ghana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) on Thursday welcomed government's response to pay all the approved revised salary grading as well as arrears effective January 1, 2008 to their members by today (Thursday) December 18. The action of the government was prompted by a one-week ultimatum issued by the Union on December 8, 2008 to pay all the approved revised salary grading as well as arrears.

A release signed by Mr Abu Kuntulo, General Secretary of the HSWU, said the Union had received copy of a letter from their sector Minister dated December 9, 2008, asking the Controller and Accountant-General to quickly implement the "revised salary grading to the affected categories of Health Workers on Pay Scale 2."

It said the Union appreciated the quick response of their Minister, Major Courage Quashigah (Rtd) to the unfortunate handling of the overdue salary arrears to their members for almost a year.

The release reminded the government that the affected categories of the health workers constituted the largest segment of the country's health delivery system and cautioned that their conditions of service should not be toyed with again to ensure industrial harmony for the benefit of patients.

It wished that the current experience must not be permitted to recur to compel the workers to react negatively to the detriment of innocent patients.