Doctors not resigning Friday

No member of the Ghana Medical Association will resign on Friday as the body heads for an emergency general meeting to decide on their next line of action in the ongoing impasse between them and the state.

Persons familiar with the matter say the GMA will meet today, Tuesday, to consider another option as they continue to sort out issues of better conditions of service with the government.

A meeting held on Sunday to ostensibly get the striking doctors to go back to work failed.

Government met with the leadership of the striking medical professionals hoping to reach an agreement over their conditions of service.

But the marathon meeting, which lasted all day, was just another disappointing negotiation exercise.

Sources familiar with Sunday’s arrangement reported that the doctors once again rejected government’s offer, insisting it was unacceptable.

Government, on the other hand, rejected some of the conditions put forward by the doctors, leading to a deadlock situation that didn’t get better as the negotiations went on.

A not-so-okay twist to an already messy situation, it means the strike action by the doctors will continue nationwide.

Sunday’s meeting coincided with a Ministry of Health statement that claimed as false, earlier media reports that suggested it had agreed to 50 percent of the demands being made by the doctors.

“As was stated in an earlier statement by the Minister for Employment and Labour Relations, the Public Services Joint Standing Negotiating Committee (PSJSNC) is already involved in a universal discussion of Category 2 & 3 allowances.

“The Ho Forum had agreed that the implementation of these allowances be deferred until after all public sector workers have been migrated onto the Single Spine Salary Structure.

“A number of demands contained in the GMA’s proposal fall under Category 2 and 3 and can therefore not be discussed between the Government and the GMA alone. Government wishes to restate that the negotiation of such allowances at the level of the PSJSNC is not negotiable. Any action to the contrary will seriously destroy the successful implementation of the Single Spine Pay Policy, which has and continues to have huge financial implications for the taxpayer.

“We have remained committed to the negotiation process with the GMA and Organized Labour with the view to ensuring a harmonious and productive working environment in Ghana. This commitment underpins the latest meeting with the Ghana Medical Association, which took place today, Sunday, August 09, 2015.

“Government wishes to remind the GMA that the on-going strike is a violation of the Labour Act of 2003, (Act 651), which requires that parties to negotiation should not embark on lockout or strike.”

The doctors will meet today, Tuesday, to confirm a shift from resignation and consider another option.