Accra, Aug.31, GNA - The Health Services Workers Union (HSWU) of the Ghana TUC has urged government to pay health service workers the salary adjustments awarded to all public sector employees since 2006. The Union further urged government to enter into negotiations with the leadership of the HSWU to expedite the payment of the increases of 20 per cent and 15 per cent.

These demands were contained in several resolutions adopted at the ninth Quadrennial National Delegates Conference of the Union at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi over the weekend.

The delegates urged government and their employers not to use the old salaries in computing the retirement benefits for their members as public sector workers who retire on CAP 30 pension, stressing that such computations should be based on the current terminal salaries and not the 2005 levels.

On the on-going negotiations with their employers, namely the Ministry of Health, The Ghana Health Service and the Teaching Hospitals, the conference called for early conclusion of the negotiations before the end of the year to ensure industrial peace in the coming year. The delegates expressed dismay at the foot-dragging attitude of their employers regarding the negotiations and called for urgent attention to conclude them.

The conference urged health service employers to establish industrial relations desks at the national regional and agency levels to be manned by qualified persons with in-depth knowledge in industrial relations to enhance industrial harmony. Delegates urged the Ghana Health service Council and the boards of the Teaching Hospitals to replace all obsolete and malfunctioning equipment at the facility levels to reduce the risk of health workers contracting diseases and other health hazards in the performance of their duties.

On the payment of special allowances to motivate health workers posted to deprived areas, the delegates deplored the current discriminatory execution of the scheme and urged its implementation to cover all qualified health workers.

On the impending December election, the conference urged all well-meaning Ghanaians, government and politicians to work towards protecting the country's young democracy by helping the Electoral Commission to come out with a transparent and credible voters' register. Brother Richard K. Yeboah (Rev.) was re-elected National Chairman, with C. H. Issah as National Vice-Chairman for a new four-year term. Other officers elected were Brother Abu D. Kuntulo, General Secretary, Brother Ofosu Tenkorang, Deputy General Secretary and Brother A. Amoako-Attah, First National Trustee.