The National Labour Commission has summoned the leadership of the Mortuary Workers Association of Ghana (MOWAG) to a meeting following a complaint by Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) against the association’s ongoing strike action.
In a letter signed by the Executive Secretary of NLC, Ofosu Asamoah, and sighted by ADR Daily, the Commission is calling the executives to a meeting to discuss measures for the resumption of negotiation between MOWAG and FWSC.
Negotiations between the FWSC and MOWAG, over service conditions for mortuary workers, broke down recently, resulting in the association embarking on an indefinite strike.
While the Salaries Commission describes the strike action as illegal, the executives claimed that the Commission and the Health Ministry were unwilling to address their concerns.
In its complaint to the Labour Commission, the FWSC wants the executive of MOWAG to be directed to call off the strike and return to the negotiation table.
The complaint letter, dated June 4, 2019 and signed by Executive Secretary of FWSC, Dr Edward Kwapong explained that “the FWSC and the Ministries of Employment & Labour Relations, and Health, have been in a series of engagements with the leadership of MOWAG on their issues and concerns relating to conditions of service.”
“While discussions were ongoing with the view of reaching a broad agreement on the issues and concerns, the leadership of MOWAG declared a unilateral strike action to the detriment of its employer, Ministry of Health.
“ In view on the strike action and the fact that mortuary workers in the health sector provide essential services, the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission wishes to lodge the instant compliant for the National Labour Commission to intervene by calling on the leadership to return to the negotiating table,” the letter said.
By Benjamin Nana Appiah/ adrdaily.com
Read full FWSC complaint letter
