Staff of the University of Ghana School of Medicine and Dentistry, at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, on Wednesday morning threatened to lay down their working tools amidst agitations that their interim market premium has been suspended.
The workers who thronged their various offices today in hope of receiving their pay slip were utterly bewildered when their allowances didn't reflect on the slip.
The premium is an allowance for the staff calculated according to basic salary due them.
Last two years, members of the Teachers Educational Workers' Union (TEWU) of the College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana Medical School at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital threatened an indefinite strike if the management failed to pay their interim market premium owed them.
TEWU noted that their allowances were not paid despite series of meetings with the management and directive from the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC).
According to reliable sources, the recent decision by the authorities also sparked unrest among the dentist body of the College of Health Sciences of the University of Ghana due to the miscommunication between the authorities and the workers.
Expounding the circumstances that have led to the recent holdup of the staff’s allowances, our source disclosed that the premium which was supposed to begin in the year 2010 became operational in 2013.
Though they have received their allowances over a year now, their premium has been characterized by several shortfalls and in order to resolve the conflict regarding the premium; Vice Chancellor of the University Professor Ernest Aryeetey set up a Committee to address the issue.
Explaining further, our source told Peacefmonline.com that they are unaware of the Committee's recommendations and wondered if the suspension of their allowances is perhaps as a result of a directive by the Committee.
However, initial reports which were made available to Peacefmonline.com indicated that the staff was bracing themselves to embark on a strike.
But from our subsequent investigations, the management of the school of the School of Medicine and Dentistry has calmed down nerves of the staff and promised to amicably resolve the conflict with the appropriate authorities in charge of the payment of the premium to the staff.
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