The National Labour Commission (NLC) has urged striking nurses and midwives to return to work while it attempts to settle the dispute between them and their employers.

According to the Labour Commission, it has invited all the interested parties to a meeting tomorrow, Wednesday, 23 September 2020, to settle the impasse, and, so, the health workers should return to work.

The Labour Commission noted that the health workers should be smiling and happy that it has stepped into the fray because, by law, the issue must be settled at all cost once the Commission intervenes.

Speaking on the Executive Breakfast Show (EBS) on Tuesday, 22 September 2020, Executive Secretary to the NLC, Mr Ofosu Asamoah, pleaded with the health workers to return to post.

He told show host Abdul Karim that: “We’ve invited the Nurses and Midwives Association, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Health, Director-General of Ghana Health Service, the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations for a meeting tomorrow at 10 am to try to solve whatever problem or impasse [there is] between them, which they have not been able to settle, but what we are saying is that, between the Thursday that they held their press conference to tomorrow, Wednesday, when we attempt settlement, they should be going to work”.

“After all, the leadership of the health workers are about 10 that are attending the settlement so that the rest of the nurses and other health workers will be at post to attend to patients and other emergencies.”

Mr Asamoah noted that the Labour Commission has intervened only to guide the settlement by way of negotiation between the parties because the issue has dragged for long.  

“It is because the thing has been dragging since 2019 that is why the Labour Commission has stepped in.

“When we come in, we are guided by law.

“We have between three days to settle the matter.

“We are supposed to set up an arbitration panel for compulsory arbitration.

“When its voluntary people drag on but the law gives us the power so when it comes to the Labour Commission, there is a clear end to the problem and whatever award the arbitration panel gives is final.

So, this is the time nurses, midwives and health workers should be smiling…so this is the time they should be smiling that Labour Commission has stepped in…”