GENERAL NEWS

Nurses, midwives union threaten strike over COLA

The leadership of the Union of Professional Nurses and Midwives, Ghana (UPNMG) has asked the government to “pay all Public Sector Workers” a Cost Of Living Allowance (COLA) to avert further industrial actions.

The Union says it is surprised at the laxity with which the welfare of nurses and midwives have been bundled within these hard economic times and wants the government to intervene by paying workers the COLA as was done in 2014 “in a similar economic situation”.

According to the Union in a statement issued Tuesday, it expects “nothing short of a similar stop-gap measure to cushion the many Nurses and Midwives in the country.”

The threat comes in the wake of the ongoing indefinite strike by teacher unions over demands for a 20 per cent COLA, an action that has brought educational activities in pre-tertiary educational institutions across the country to a halt.

“Yesterday, Unions in the education sector laid down their tools to drum home this request which was brought to the attention of the Employer during the May Day celebration and followed up with a formal letter by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) on the 24″‘ of June 2022. We, the members of the UNION OF PROFESSIONAL NURSES AND MIDWIVES, GHANA (UPNMG) are equally calling on the government to as a matter of urgency to introduce at least 20% of our basic salaries as COLA while we wait for the managers of the economy to turn things round. The strike called by teachers in their joint press release is a call in the right direction and deserve the full backing of all labour unions in the country,” said the nurses and midwives union.

“We have waited for the bearer of the Collective Bargaining Certificate for Nurses and Midwives to make a move in demanding for this COLA but little is heard from them. We have thus taken it upon ourselves as the second largest union within the Nursing and Midwifery profession to appeal to the government to as a matter of urgency take a critical look at the matter. The earlier we begin to think about relooking at the conditions in which Nurses and Midwives work in Ghana the better it will be for our health system as Nurses and Midwives play a major role in the health delivery system,” the statement, signed by John Agbenyeavu, National PRO, said.

 

 

Source: Graphic

Ogyem Solomon

Solomon Ogyem – Media Entrepreneur | Journalist | Brand Ambassador Solomon Ogyem is a dynamic Ghanaian journalist and media entrepreneur currently based in South Africa. With a solid foundation in journalism, Solomon is a graduate of the OTEC School of Journalism and Communication Studies in Ghana and Oxbridge Academy in South Africa. He began his career as a reporter at OTEC 102.9 MHz in Kumasi, where he honed his skills in news reporting, community storytelling, and radio broadcasting. His passion for storytelling and dedication to the media industry led him to establish Press MltiMedia Company in South Africa—a growing platform committed to authentic African narratives and multimedia journalism. Solomon is the founder and owner of Thepressradio.com, a news portal focused on delivering credible, timely, and engaging stories across Ghana and Africa. He also owns Press Global Tickets, a service-driven venture in the travel and logistics space, providing reliable ticketing services. He previously owned two notable websites—Ghanaweb.mobi and ShowbizAfrica.net—both of which contributed to entertainment and socio-political discussions within Ghana’s digital space. With a diverse background in media, digital journalism, and business, Solomon Ogyem is dedicated to telling impactful African stories, empowering youth through media, and building cross-continental media partnerships.

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