MELPWU swears in new regional, national executives, demands for better conditions of service

The Medical Laboratory Professional Workers’ Union (MELPWU), has sworn in their newly elected national and regional executive of the union on Wednesday. The second batch of newly sworn-in executives is expected to man the affairs of the union for the next four years. Seven executives comprising the chairman, 1st vice chairman, 2nd vice-chairperson, general secretary, deputy general secretary, treasurer, and financial secretary were the executive expected to represent the national level. At the regional level, however, four executives from each region were sworn in in addition to the national officers. Clad in beautiful regalia on their white attires to match their respective positions, the newly sworn-in executives were made to swear an oath where they also pledged to work effectively for the well-being of the union. The colourful event which took place during the Union's Annual General Meeting held in Fumasua, Ashanti Region, saw a lot of dignitaries present. The theme for this year's program was “The Changing World Of Trade Unions And The Employer In Industrial Relations”. In his welcome address, the acting chairman of the union, Patrick Nsobila Asebga, revealed that the purpose and the need for the union's existence was to make members known, and their voices heard. He stressed that since the laboratory professionals were at the forefront of the battle against infectious diseases and the pandemic, they needed to lift up their voices concerning policies that affected them and their working conditions. In his conclusion, Mr. Asebga urged members to join the union and actively get themselves involved in every activity to help make their dream a reality. He also pleaded with stakeholders to as a matter of urgency give attention to the demands of the members and address their issues in a quick manner. General Secretary of the union, MLS Cephas Kofi Akortor expressed worry over the government's failure to involve the union in a stakeholder consultation in its quest to put their service provision under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) deal. According to him, the union was not involved in the stakeholder engagement. He urged the government to always create an enabling platform for better stakeholder engagements that will benefit everyone. He said there was a need for the union to always get involved in decisions in the health sector at the top hierarchy, especially those directly affecting the Medical Laboratory Professionals. Urging the government and other stakeholders against any service maltreatment of the union from their employer, the general secretary insisted that the union needed a better working condition and service evaluation. Citing the 2013 policy as an example, the secretary said that should be the blueprint for treating Medical Laboratory Professionals with fairness. According to the general secretary, the National Health Laboratory Policy (NHLP), which was developed in 2013 to serve as a blueprint for the expansion of laboratory services to support healthcare programs and promote quality healthcare delivery in the country, if implemented, will help a lot. He said the implementation will provide a sustainable framework for the structured development and professional growth of Ghana’s laboratory system in the areas of quality management system, human resources management, laboratory testing, equipment, and reagents. Other areas include consumables, infrastructure, health security; laboratory information systems; research and network; monitoring and evaluation; financing laboratory services, etc. Delivering the keynote address, Dr. Bernice Anowa Welbeck, Director of Administration and Human Resources at the National Labour Commission, commended MELPWU for the establishment of the union and congratulated the new executive. Giving history and the need for labour unions, Dr. Welbeck urged union members to avoid embarking on strike at the expense of peaceful dialogue. According to her, strike actions as a means of getting your voice heard was a very wrong approach. She said strike actions should be the last resort if the legal and systematic process fails. Honourable Bright Wireko Brobbey, the Deputy Minister for Employment and Labor Relations congratulated the newly sworn-in executives and however urged them to work hard for the well-being of the union and the health sector in general. Urging them to be circumspect in their respective roles when they come to the negotiating table, the honourable minister revealed that despite having rights to present their grievances, members should also remember that such rights are attached to certain responsibilities. The Minister finally reiterated that there was the need for members to always adopt stakeholder dialogue instead of strike actions that could generate into something else. He said though everyone has the right to protest or strike, but such actions must be reasonable ones. Cephas Kofi Akortor, General Secretary of the Medical Laboratory Professional Workers’ Union (MELPWU), has called for the implementation of the National Health Laboratory Policy (NHLP), which was developed in 2013 to serve as a blueprint for the expansion of laboratory services to support healthcare programs and promote quality healthcare delivery in the country. The policy if implemented will provide a sustainable framework for the structured development and professional growth of Ghana’s laboratory system in the areas of quality management system, human resources management, laboratory testing, equipment, and reagents. Other areas include consumables, infrastructure, health security; laboratory information systems; research and network; monitoring and evaluation; financing laboratory services, and organization and coordination, where a directorate of health laboratory services would be established to provide administrative and technical oversight of Laboratory services across all agencies and the private sector.