The Ghana Medical Association has also joined labour unions demanding payment of Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) to their members.
According to the GMA, members have also been hit by the current economic hardships.
General Secretary Dr. Titus Beyou in an interview on JOY News said
GMA is “part of a bigger group called the FORUM which has also called for the COLA.”
“We are singing the same song and we have wished that government would have started with us much earlier to negotiate and discuss this,” he said.
“Doctors are struggling. We are buying from the same market, we are buying the same fuel, we don’t get fuel coupons, and doctors have parked their cars and are now getting on board ‘trotro’ because they can no longer afford fuel.”
He further posited that although the 20% demand being made by organised labour unions, “is not significant, at least it can do something.”
“The COLA is not a normal salary. It’s a temporary allowance given to a worker because of some special situation.
“Successive governments have given COLA to labour unions to cushion us for a temporary period and the government should have met with us much earlier and negotiated a temporary allowance for a particular period that they think the economy will return to normal and that’s all we are asking for,” he said.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
