Ghana Labour Commission Declares Midwives and Nurses’ Strike Illegal, Orders Immediate End
Accra, Ghana – Ghana's healthcare sector faced a judicial intervention as the National Labour Commission (NLC) declared the nationwide strike by midwives and nurses illegal and ordered an immediate cessation of the industrial action.
The strike, initiated by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), was called primarily over unresolved grievances concerning poor conditions of service, including allowances, salary-related issues, and chronic understaffing. The withdrawal of services had rapidly escalated, causing significant disruptions in hospitals and clinics nationwide, raising acute concerns for patient safety, particularly for mothers, newborns, and critical care patients.
The NLC, following an urgent application from the government represented by the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) and the Ministry of Health, ruled that the strike violated Ghana's labour laws. The Commission emphasized that the GRNMA failed to adhere to mandatory dispute resolution procedures outlined in the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651) before embarking on the strike. This includes exhausting negotiation and conciliation avenues under the NLC's oversight.
"The Commission finds that the strike action by the GRNMA is illegal," the NLC stated in its ruling. "The nurses and midwives are hereby ordered to call off the strike immediately and return to work." The ruling underscored the designation of nursing and midwifery as essential services, meaning strikes in these sectors are subject to strict legal constraints to prevent life-threatening disruptions to public health.
The government's application argued the strike posed an imminent risk to public health and safety, presenting evidence of hospitals struggling to maintain basic care and emergency services without their core nursing and midwifery staff. The NLC concurred, highlighting the grave danger to vulnerable populations reliant on continuous care.
While the NLC's order compels an immediate return to work, it does not resolve the underlying issues that led to the strike. The GRNMA leadership has consistently pointed to low remuneration, hazardous workloads due to understaffing, delayed allowances, and unsatisfactory negotiations as the catalysts. The ruling effectively forces nurses and midwives back to work while mandating that both parties return to the negotiation table under the NLC's guidance, prohibiting further strike action until legal processes are fully exhausted.
The pressure now shifts decisively to the government. Nurses and midwives are legally bound to resume their duties, but sustainable resolution hinges on the FWSC, Ministry of Health, and other state actors engaging constructively and urgently with the GRNMA to address the legitimate concerns over conditions of service. Failure to achieve meaningful progress risks only a temporary pause in the crisis, leaving Ghana's already burdened healthcare system vulnerable to further instability. Patients breathe a sigh of relief with the return of these critical caregivers, but long-term solutions remain imperative.
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Total Comments: 1
Always going on strike