Labour consultant Austin Gamey has urged government to take remedial action on the ongoing strike by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) to prevent further damage.
He says the strike is already having a severe impact and believes it’s time for the government to engage in dialogue with the nurses to resolve the matter.
Speaking on Ghana Tonight on TV3, the labour expert noted that Ghana is in a desperate situation.
“We are at a desperate level, not because there is panic per se, but it makes sense when a 30-year-old young man suffering from asthma died just because he has no opportunity to be attended to,” he noted.
He urged the government to take steps to address the matter, if not fully, then halfway, while conversations continue to find a permanent resolution.
“It makes sense for the employer –government –to be mindful and take remedial actions to enable some restoration to be made, albeit partially, whiles we engage in a conversation,” he stated.
He further advised the parties to engage as the labour law requires, noting that this showcases the quality of the relationship between government and labour.
“Indeed, conversation defines the quality of relationship between labour and management. And therefore, what is required to be done is conversational and that’s what our labour law enjoins us to do, to have a conversation around the subject matter and consideration,” he stated.
The GRNMA and its allied associations declared their strike on June 3, following months of unsuccessful negotiations with government over improved conditions of service, including allowances, risk benefits, and rural posting support.
The union has accused the government of failing to honour its commitments, citing stagnation in salaries amid rising cost of living and inflation.
Hospitals and clinics across the country have since been left operating with skeletal staff, causing significant disruption to healthcare delivery.
Emergency services have been prioritised, but many patients in public hospitals have reported delays or outright cancellation of care.
While the Ministry of Health insists it remains open to dialogue, it has not yet presented a revised financial framework that would incorporate the nurses’ demands without breaching budgetary limits.
The Deputy Minister of Finance, Ampem Nyarko, and the Health Minister, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, at a press conference Tuesday, June 10, 2025, indicated that honouring the conditions would break the economy since the demands were not contained in the budget.
The GRNMA, for its part, insists it will not call off the strike until tangible commitments are made.
GRNMA strike: Here’s a list of health facilities where nurses and midwives are still working
