Sources have reported that the nationwide strike initiated by nurses and midwives stemmed from what the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) described as long-standing delays in implementing their 2024 Collective Agreement—an agreement said to contain critical provisions for improved working conditions and remuneration.
Despite prior warnings, the National Labour Commission (NLC), exercising its mandate under the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651), is said to have instructed the GRNMA to halt all intended protest actions, including symbolic demonstrations and a full withdrawal of services, while mediation efforts were underway.
Reports confirm that this directive followed a formal strike notice submitted to the NLC by the GRNMA on May 29, 2025. However, controversy erupted when GRNMA leadership failed to appear at a high-level meeting convened by the NLC on Wednesday, June 4. In contrast, stakeholders such as the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Finance were present and ready to negotiate.
This absence, sources say, led the NLC to label the industrial action as unlawful under Section 159 of the Labour Act. In an official statement released on June 4, the Commission reportedly declared, “The industrial action by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association is illegal and must be called off immediately.”
Matters escalated further as the High Court reportedly issued an injunction to legally enforce the NLC’s directive—compelling more than 128,000 GRNMA members to return to their posts at health facilities without delay.
The NLC has also directed GRNMA leaders to resume negotiations with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission and submit a progress report by June 25, 2025.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh is said to have made an emotional appeal to the striking healthcare professionals, urging them to prioritise the well-being of patients and rejoin the negotiation table in the spirit of resolution and compassion.
The ongoing strike has reportedly caused major disruptions, particularly in outpatient and emergency services across public hospitals nationwide—raising alarm about the immediate impact on healthcare delivery.
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