TIG Post

Tag: Strike

  • Doctors threaten strike over governments failure to implement Conditions of Service

    There may be labour unrest in the health sector soon as Medical Doctors and Dentists have served notice that they will embark on strike if the government fails to implement their signed Conditions of Service immediately.

    A Ghana Medical Association (GMA) internal memo sighted by Citi News directed all members to withdraw all services in all facilities if the government fails to meet their demands by January 29, 2020.

    The internal memo, dated February 21, 2020, and jointly signed by President of GMA, Dr. Frank Ankobea and General Secretary, Dr. Justice Yankson said that although the implementation date for the signed Conditions of Service document was 1st January 2020 as agreed by all parties, government had failed to meet the deadline.

    “The Association has accordingly given the government up to Saturday, 29th February 2020 to ensure full implementation (including payment of all occasioned arrears) of the CoS document at both the National and facility levels. If any default on the part of Government occurs Vis-à-vis the stated deadline, there shall be immediate withdrawal of all services by members in all facilities,” the internal memo warned.

    The National Executive Committee of the Medical Association said it also observed that during the validation of February salaries, there was the absence of fuel allowance on the payslips of members; and urged members to put all discrepancies on notice for rectification.

    In separate letters addressed to the Ministers for Health, and Employment and Labour Relations, the Association expressed grave concern over the development.

    Both letters said the Conditions of Service document implementation has not taken place both at the National and facility levels despite numerous calls on Government to do so.

    The Medical Association thus requested for the immediate facilitation of the Ministers to forestall an industrial action.

    Previous strikes to demand codified conditions of service

    The Ghana Medical Association in July 2015 embarked on a 3-week strike over the absence of a codified condition of service.

    They were demanding a signed document detailing a number of entitlements to be given to them as part of their conditions of service.

    Part of their demands included 40% of basic salaries as accommodation allowance per month, 20 percent as core duty facilitation allowance, 30% clothing allowance, 20% maintenance allowance, 20% utility allowance, 50% as professional allowance and 25% special risk allowance and vehicle tax exemption to doctors.

    They called off the strike to return to the negotiation table after several appeals from many Ghanaians including members of the clergy.

    The Conditions of Service was finally signed between the association and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission in November 2019.

     

    Source: citinewsroom 

  • Eastern Regional Health Services Workers Union threatens strike action

    The Eastern Regional branch of the Health Services Workers Union (HSWU) of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) has passed a resolution in support of nationwide strike action.

    They say their outstanding grievances are yet to be resolved by the Ghana Health Service.

    Read: National Service Rotation Nurses declare strike over unpaid allowances

    At an emergency meeting held in Koforidua, the members of the union dressed with red bands on their hands and head massively declared their support in favour of a strike action.

    In a resolution adopted at the meeting and read by Mohammed Abeo, the Regional Industrial Relations Officer of the Union, the union said their employers have failed to abide by the collective agreement of the union signed in 2016.

    He said their employers have refused to pay the market premium introduced for them during the implementation of the single spine pay policy.

    Mr Abeo said during the transition of some of their members onto the single spine salary structure, some of the members suffered distortions in their salaries which has not been corrected despite the many efforts made by the union.

    Read: Teachers announce end of strike, mulls over next move

    He said in 2017, some junior staff were promoted but were paid without market premium making them worse off and upon intervention by the union, the Ministry of Finance issued a letter for the market premium of the affected members to be paid with effect from March 2019 but this has not been done.

    The union claimed that many of its members suffered wrong placement and are suffering the loss of salaries.

    The union observed that due to the challenges mentioned above and discrimination in the service, the unity that had characterized the work at health institutions has broken down.

    The union demanded the correction of all the distortions in the placement of members of the union and the payment of salary arrears due the members of the union.

    Source: adomonline.com

  • GES shocked by ‘illegitimate’ Teacher Unions strike

    The Ghana Education Service is shocked by the decision of three Teacher Unions to embark on a strike over the non-payment of salary arrears.

    The three Unions - Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Coalition of Concerned Teachers Ghana (CCT-GH) – declared the strike action which will take effect on Monday, December 9 following a series of engagements with the government on Legacy Arrears incurred between 2012 and 2016.

    Read: GNAT, NAGRAT, CCT declare strike over delay in releasing their arrears

    In the jointly signed statement, the Unions say the lack of adherence on the part of the government to these demands has necessitated the December 9 action.

    They, therefore, directed all members to stay out of classrooms across the country in protests of the “sufferings” endured “as a result of the negligence.”

    But the GES in a statement copied to Joy News explained that the Legacy Arrears relate to outstanding salary arrears between 2012 and 2016 and affected about 120,232 staff of the Service.

    “The Legacy Arrears was as a result of the policy by the then government which allowed the payment of three months of salary arrears owed any employee in the Public Service. All other arrears were to be justified and validated by the Audit Service before payment.

    Read: Workers of Meridian Port Services on strike

    “Since 2017, the current government has taken deliberate actions to pay off the arrears due to those who deserve them. It is significant to note that as of September 2019, about 87,556 staff of GES had been paid their full salary arrears, representing 95% of total staff validated for payment,” the statement said.

    GES also noted that since then further actions have been taken to pay the arrears and at a meeting with the Teacher Unions on December 2, some agreements were reached.

    “It is therefore with utmost shock that Management has learnt of the purported declaration of the strike action and states that the conduct of the Union leaders is grossly an abuse of the principle of good faith and good working relations which have been established and nurtured over the years.”

    Read the full statement below:

     

    Source: myjoyonline 

  • The world goes on strike

    From London to New York City and from Perth to Paris, climate activists will take part in a global general strike on Friday in what is expected to be the biggest day of climate demonstrations in the planet’s history.

    A Climate Strike march in central Melbourne, Australia, has already gathered a massive crowd.

    “This is HUUUGE, Melbourne! Announcers just said over 100,000 people! #climatestrike #Greens,” Greens MP Adam Bandt, who represents the seat of Melbourne in Federal Parliament, tweeted.

    The Global Climate Strike is the third in a worldwide series of climate rallies organized by school students, and led by 16-year-old Greta Thunberg.

    Read:General Motors auto workers strike in US

    But it is not just young people taking part this month, with labor and humanitarian groups, environmental organizations and employees of some of the world’s biggest brands also set to participate.

    According to Swedish schoolgirl Thunberg, who is in New York ahead of the United Nations Climate Action Summit on September 23, around 4,638 events have been organized in 139 countries.

    By going on strike on September 20 — and September 27 in a few countries — protestors hope to put pressure on politicians and policy makers to act on climate issues.

    Read:British Airways warns of continuing disruption after strikes

    In an opinion piece for CNN, teenager Katie Eder, co-founder and executive director for Future Coalition, said climate change was “the five-alarm fire that America’s political leaders pretend not to see.”

    The 19-year-old added: “On Friday, we’re striking for a Green New Deal; for the immediate cessation of fossil-fuel projects on sovereign indigenous land; for environmental justice; for the protection and restoration of nature; and for sustainable agriculture.

    “We’re striking for ourselves, for our friends and family, for the kid who lives down the street from us. We’re striking because it’s what we have to do.”

    Source: cnn.com

  • General Motors auto workers strike in US

    Workers began a strike against General Motors on Monday after America’s biggest carmaker failed to reach a deal over pay and conditions with the United Auto Workers union (UAW).

    Almost 50,000 workers are due to take part in the strike, the first major stoppage at GM since 2007.

    “We do not take this lightly. This is our last resort,” UAW vice-president Terry Dittes told reporters in Detroit.

    The sides had set a Saturday night deadline to reach an agreement.

    Read:Nearly all British Airways flights canceled as pilots go on strike

    In the 2007 strike, a two-day stoppage cost $300m (£240m).

    The union’s previous four-year contract with GM expired this weekend, and the two sides had been holding negotiations on wide-ranging issues, including wages, healthcare, profit sharing and job security.

    Also, the union has been fighting to stop GM from closing car assembly plants in Ohio and Michigan, which the company has said are necessary responses to changes in the market. Earlier on Sunday 850 maintenance workers at five GM facilities walked off the job on strike.

    Read:Prisoners go on a hunger strike in Egypt

    Mr Dittes said: “We are standing up for fair wages, we are standing up for affordable, quality health care. We are standing up for our share of the profits.”

    GM argues that its wages and benefits are among the best in the industry. The carmaker said in a statement that its offer to the UAW during talks included more than $7bn in new investments, more jobs, and pay and benefits increases. “We have negotiated in good faith and with a sense of urgency,” GM said.

    It remains unclear whether the two sides have plans for further negotiations.

    The strike comes at a time when the US car industry is starting to see a slowdown in sales, and rising costs associated with investment in electric vehicles and curbing emissions.

    Source: bbc.com