The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has warned the government that its members will “begin series of action” if it fails to fully implement the unresolved concerns regarding their market premiums and reduced pensions.
It has since given the government a five-month ultimatum to address the matter.
Doctors across the country in 2015 embarked on a nationwide strike that lasted a month, to demand negotiated and signed conditions of service documents.
The strike was called off following assurances their concerns were being addressed.
Several months after, the market premium is yet to be completed amidst reminders and threats from the Medical Association.
The association, however, says if the government does not fully implement the market premium by April 2018, it will take action.
Speaking at the 59th annual and scientific meeting in Kumasi, newly-elected President of the GMA, Dr Frank Ankobeah says members will ensure all outstanding issues are resolved.
“In the ruling of the National Labour Commission (NLC) in a compulsory arbitration in November 2011, the market premium was a percentage of the basic salary of the doctors. The above ruling was implemented for only a year, after which the government unilaterally decided to make it a fixed figure contrary to the ruling of the NLC. The GMA, therefore, decides that if all the issues of full implementation of conditions of service and market premiums, together with the related matters of conversion difference and reduced pensions, are not dealt with by the government immediately, the GMA by 1800 GMT April 30, 2018, will begin a series of activities that will definitely affect the current industrial climate,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Ghana Medical Association and 11 other labour unions are calling on the government to transfer their pension contributions, spanning 2010 to 2016, to their custodian banks rather than being kept in their temporary pensions account, where it accrues no interest.
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