The Medical Laboratory Professional Workers Union (MELPWU) has called on the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) to follow the dictates of the law and deal with matters related to their conditions of service expeditiously. 

The union has hinted at plans to embark on strike over the refusal of the FWSC to engage its leaders on its conditions of service after submitting its grievances to the latter in January 2023.

Reminding the FWSC of its duty, MELPWU said despite being forbidden by the law to go on strike as essential service providers, the duty-bearers at the helm of affairs have failed the country, thus, the need to go on strike.

Speaking to Nana Otu Darko on CTV’s Dwabr3 Mu, a member of the Medical Laboratory Workers Union, Dr Franklin Amartey Armah, noted that the country’s duty-bearers are failing Ghanaians and called for quick action on such issues from the authorities.

“So, the same law that forbids us from going on strike is the same law that prescribes that duty-bearers should deal with the matters expeditiously".

“So, let us learn to deal with the root cause of problems rather than dealing with symptoms. The symptoms is the strike that you see. The root cause is the duty-bearers who are failing Ghanaians. Duty-bearers who are supposed to engage us are failing Ghanaians,” he stressed.

He continued: “Duty-bearers who are supposed to invite laboratory professionals to have negotiations have failed woefully and, meanwhile, he’s drawing salaries".

“We’re demotivated. It doesn’t inspire confidence.”

He refuted claims that once the members of the union are demotivated to work, they will not put in their best while offering services at the various facilities.

“We’re professionally trained and, so, despite the difficulties, we are largely supposed to provide good service,” Dr Armah stated.

The Deputy General-Secretary of the union, Prosper Senyo Sokpe, urged the FWSC to do the right thing by engaging the MELPWU.

“What we’re saying is that the authorities must do what is expected of them,” he said, further calling for the FWSC to engage the union.

The Deputy General-Secretary stressed that the union will advise itself if the FWSC fails to do so.

“We’re appealing to the authorities especially the FWSC and then that of the Ministry of Labour as well and then the Ministry of Health which is the mother body of the agency we belong to.

“What we’re saying is that if the authorities do not heed our demands, we’ll have no option but to advice ourselves,” he said.