Striking Doctors Flouting The Law - Austin Gamey
Doctors are showing gross disrespect to laid down rules and the tax payer by embarking on a nationwide strike from Saturday, said a Labour Consultant Austin Gamey.
Gamey emphasised on Citi Eyewitness News that the doctors are “being unfair” to the entire country since there are unambiguous laws outlining how they can address their grievances.
The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) on Friday issued a statement directing all of its members to lay down their tools from October 8 since their demands including migrating them to the Single Spine Salary Structure have not been met.
“Our noble doctors are being unfair to us,” Gamey stated. “Clearly they do not have to embark on any type of strike under any circumstances, not only because they are a very important body, but they are also an essential service of Ghana. ”
“The law prohibits them from engaging in strikes of these nature and that is the reason why they have been given special dispensation under the law for their matters to be judiciously handled within 72 hours when they feel dissatisfied,” the former deputy minister of employment and social welfare minister said.
Gamey described the doctors’ action as a “slap in the face” because they are abusing the rules that require them to resort to the National Labour Commission anytime they feel dissatisfied with negotiations at the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission.
“The law forbids both the employer and them from engaging in an untoward strike during the process of negotiations. So if they do it they are abusing and slapping everybody with the left hand. They shouldn’t do it because they are noble people.
“You don’t have any business to attempt to threaten anybody, attempt to intimidate anybody during the process of the negotiation… so it is completely unfair and unacceptable to those of us who contribute to pay the salaries of the employees to be slapped this way,” Gamey added.
Listen to Mr Gamey’s views in the attached audio clip against the headline
Source : citifmonline.com
