GMA asks government to implement MOU or else

Bolgatanga, July 28, GNA - The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has appealed to the government to as a matter of urgency implement the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by it and the Ministry of Health in May 2009 or else they would advise themselves. The doctors said they would never agree to take the seven per cent salary increment for 2009 as proposed by government whilst public sector workers are given 17 per cent pay rise.

The GMA called for a quick reversal of the aberrations to the original agreement reached and demanded a total implementation of all the stipulations of the MOU to avert any industrial action. This was contained in a communiqu=E9 issued and signed by, Dr Sodzi Sodzi-Tettey and Dr Emmanuel Adom Winful, General Secretary and President of the GMA respectively at the end of the association's 4th National Executive Council Meeting held in Bolgatanga. The communiqu=E9 said on 26 May, following the work-to-rule schedule embarked upon by the GMA, MOU was signed between the GMA and the Minister of Health, Dr George Sipa Yankey.

It was unanimously agreed by both parties that salary negations that started in 2008 should be concluded and salaries for doctors for 2008 be increased by seven per cent with effect from January, 2008.

It was also agreed that with effect from January 2009, 10 per cent basic salaries of doctors including house officers would be paid to them as On-Call Duty Facilitation Allowance, while doctors not housed in an official government accommodation also received an allowance of 10 per cent.

The communiqu=E9 said the government accepted that the arrears should be paid in two trenches, in July and August, 2009 and that of conditions of service and salaries be paid by the end of July 31. However, the GMA said the Minister of Finance had postponed payment of the arrears due to members and additionally indicated that the arrears would be paid in four instalments in total violation of the agreement.

Members of the Association said they felt uncomfortable that the Ministry of Health was silent about the issue of the On-Call Facilitation Allowance.

"The GMA wishes to categorically state its serious reservations about certain unilateral variation of the MOU by Government without recourse to the GMA."

The communiqu=E9 said the GMA "strongly protests the unilateral variation of the MOU and the non-adherence on the part of Ministry of Finance."

The communiqu=E9 called for a quick reversal of the aberrations to the original agreement reached and demanded a total implementation of all the stipulations of the MOU. It appealed to the National Labour Commission to urgently address the thorny issues and not wait until the problems escalate. The GMA said it would explore all options available including legal avenues to ensure a healthy respect for all the agreements reached and signed in the MOU.

Some of the doctors said their colleagues would continue to leave the country if government did not pay attention to their salaries and conditions of service.

They said doctors in the country were not more than 2,000 and wondered why the government could not improve their salaries and conditions of service knowing very well that the field is very sensitive and crucial to national development. 28 July 09