The Industrial and Labour Division of the High Court has granted an interlocutory injunction against the strike embarked upon by members of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association.
The striking nurses and midwives are therefore required to resume work as their action has been declared illegal.
The nurses and midwives began the industrial action on June 2 with June 9 as the day on which they will go full scale if government fails to yield to their demand.
The aggrieved health workers are agitating over the non-implementation of a collective bargaining agreement signed with the erstwhile Akufo-Addo administration.
The three-day-old strike has started affecting patients, some of whom are nursing serious ailments.
In granting the injunction dated June 5, the Registrar, Mame Daniels wrote, “UPON READING the affidavit of MARTIN DIDEMUDO of house No 0047.6998, Suhum in the Eastern Region of the Republic of Ghana, for and on behalf of the Plaintiff/Applicant herein filed on 5th day of June, 2025 in support of motion Ex-parte for Interlocutory Injunction. AND UPON HEARING the submissions of ALEXANDER OWUSU JNR., ESQ. Counsel for and on behalf of the Plaintiff/Applicant herein, IT IS IIEREBY ORDERED that the application is granted and the Respondent herein, its Executives, Officers, Members, Agents, Servants, Employees and other persons linked to the Respondent are hereby injuncted or restrained from carrying on their illegal strike with immediate effect.”
“IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that this order lasts for only ten (10) days and upon expiration of the ten days the application should be repeated on notice to the respondent.
Earlier, the National Labour Commission (NLC) declared the industrial action by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives’ Association (GRNMA) as “illegal” and directed nurses and midwives to resume work with immediate effect.
According to NLC, the strike action is illegal because the leadership of GRNMA failed to appear before the Commission for a meeting on Wednesday, June 4, 2025 after they had been invited for discussion to resolve their concerns.
However, the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission represented by its Chief Executive, Ministry of Health and allied institutions and the Ministry of Finance were present for the meeting.
In a statement issued by the NLC on June 4, 2025, the Commission said GRNMA’s action amounts to a failure to comply with Section 159 of the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651).
“The Commission declares the Industrial action by Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association as illegal and directs them to call it off with immediate effect,” NLC noted.
The Commission further directed the leadership of the GRNMA to continue with its engagement with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission on the implementation of the Collective Agreement and report the outcome to the Commission by June 25, 2025 at 2:30pm.
More than 128,000 nurses and midwives across Ghana on May 28, 2025 declared a nationwide strike action over government’s continued delay in implementing their agreed conditions of service.
GRNMA President, Perpetual Ofori Ofori Ampofo outlined the roadmap for the planned industrial actions as follows:
- June 2–3, 2025: Nurses and midwives will wear red armbands and headbands in protest.
- June 4–8, 2025: Withdrawal of outpatient department (OPD) services.
- From June 9, 2025: Total withdrawal of all nursing and midwifery services nationwide.
The Association later announced a withdrawal of emergency services as part of their industrial action.
NLC says after receiving a notice of industrial action from GRNMA on May 29, 2025, as a matter of urgency in accordance with Section 162 of the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651) and Regulation-20-of-1-1833-Labour-Regulations-2007, it summoned the GRNMA on May 30, 2025 to appear before it on Wednesday 4 June, 2025.
NLC says it further directed that all planned actions commencing with the wearing of red bands to withdrawal of services must be halted to allow the Commission to intervene in the process.
