The National Labour Commission (NLC) has ordered the Ghana Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in the Ashanti Region, to immediately call off its strike and appear before it for negotiations on their demands.
According to NLC, the striking parties should appear before it on Wednesday, June 2, 2021.
Members of the Chapter have declared an indefinite strike starting Thursday, 27th May 2021, after they started with a one-week sit-down strike to protest the posting of the two haematologists to the Laboratory Service Department of the hospital by the facility’s management.
They have vowed to call off the strike only if the two are withdrawn from the hospital’s laboratory unit.
Also, the Ashanti Regional Branch of Ghana Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists (GAMLS) and others, have declared an indefinite strike in solidarity with their colleagues at KATH.
They also insist that until those appointments are reversed, they will not return to work.
But the NLC has ordered the lab scientists to immediately call off the strike and return to the negotiations table.
“The National Labour Commission hereby directs that with this intervention and in pursuance of section 161 of the Labour Act 2003 (Act 651), the Union should call off the ongoing strike and/or any further intended action immediately for the parties to appear before the Commission as scheduled.”
The NLC also said, “In view of the COVID-19 protocols, the representation by each side is restricted to a maximum of two (2) and this must also be noted.”
The Commission made this known in a statement issued to the striking party on Thursday, May 27, 2021.