2024 New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for Adentan, Akosua Manu, has called on the John Mahama-led government to urgently address the concerns of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), which is currently on strike.
She criticised the government for what she described as misplaced priorities, referencing the swift passage of the new GHS1 per litre dumsor levy introduced under a certificate of urgency on Tuesday, June 3.
In a social media post on Tuesday, June 10, the NPP communicator said the same urgency should be applied in resolving the demands of the striking nurses.
“The speed with which you passed the D-Levy should be the same speed at which you implement the conditions of service for our nurses. We need them back at post asap!” she wrote.
The GRNMA declared an indefinite strike over unpaid allowances and the government’s failure to fulfil parts of their 2024 Collective Agreement.
Their demands include a 13th-month salary, fuel and medical allowances, rural incentive allowances, renewal of practising licences, and the provision of uniforms.
But Deputy Finance Minister, Thomas Nyarko Ampem, has warned that meeting the full demands of the GRNMA could cost over GHS2 billion—an amount he says could destabilise the economy.
Meanwhile, speaking at a press conference in Parliament on Tuesday, June 10, Ranking Member on Parliament’s Health Committee, Dr. Nana Ayew Afriyie, urged government to adopt a respectful and realistic posture in negotiations.
“The government’s posture must change. Respect them. Sit with them. Let them know what you can and cannot do. Fortunately, the Finance Minister will soon present the mid-year budget review, and this is the right time to factor in their concerns,” he said.
