MELPWU gives FWSC 14-day ultimatum for negotiations on service conditions

The Medical Laboratory Professional Workers’ Union (MELPWU) has given the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission a 14-day ultimatum to initiate and conduct conditions of service negotiation with the Union, failure to which the Commission should prepare to industrial action.

The union gave the ultimatum is a letter addressed to the Chief Executive Officer of the FWSC, as a final reminder for the union’s call for negotiations.

The letter, dated January 26, 2024 and signed by Dr. Cephas Kofi Akortor, General Secretary of MELPWU, noted that in spite of the submission of its proposals in January last year and numerous reminders by the union for negotiations, the Commission has remained unresponsive and uncooperative.

“As you are well aware, we submitted proposals to your good office since January 2023 for the negotiation of our maiden Collective Agreement.

“Our requests for fair working conditions, reasonable remuneration, and clearly defined policies have been repeatedly communicated to Management by MELPWU,” the letter said, indicating that “it is disheartening to note the lack of urgency and Management’s approach in addressing our concerns.”

According to the union, the lack of a standard conditions of service for members has left their rights and benefits as workers open to the discretion and exploitation of some facility managers.

That, the letter said, has left the members feeling undervalued and unappreciated despite the critical work they perform as medical laboratory science professionals for quality patient care, reminding the Commission that MELPWU is a legally registered trade union with a mandate to represent and negotiate for our members.

“Please take this as a formal notification to you that if after 14 days of the receipt of this letter, your outfit fails to take practical steps for us to negotiate, we shall be forced to take actions in respect to addressing our concerns,” it stressed.

MELPWU secured a Collective Bargaining Certificate from the Chief Labour Officer in July 2022, empowering the union to represent and negotiate salaries and collective agreements on behalf of its over 5000 members across the country.