Cut Presidency Budget to Settle Nurses Demands; Minority to Govt

The Minority in Parliament has suggested that the government cut its expenditure at the Presidency to cover the approved Conditions of Service of nurses and midwives over which they are on strike.

Citing brain drain, the Deputy Ranking Member on the Employment, Labour Relations and Pensions Committee said nurses must be “treated like the health care heroes they are”.

“The Presidency’s compensation budget jumped from GHC327 million in 2024 to GH02.7 billion under this NDC government. Cutting that excess could easily cover nurses’ fair demands. It’s about priorities.”

According to him, the government must fulfil the demands of the nurses and midwives without excuses.

“If you want to renew the public’s faith in our political system, the government must simply get to work and implement this 2024 agreement for our hardworking nurses. Our nurses have made it clear that they are not on strike for their wages — they are fighting for the ability to have some say over their professional benefits.”

The Suhum MP also chastised Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, for his “irresponsible” comments about the leadership of the striking nurses.

“The Government seem to want to pitch these overworked and undervalued essential workers against the public as seen in the irresponsible comment by the health minister that leadership of nurses’ union have fled the country to avoid engagement, how reprehensible.”

He argued that the National Labor Act establishes workers’ right to strike.

“It is instructive to note that every Ghanaian worker deserves to be treated with dignity and respect on the job. When employers (in this case the Government) fail to keep their end of that bargain, workers also have the right to strike for fair and safe working conditions.”

Source: https://opemsuo.com/author/hajara-fuseini/