The Mortuary Workers Association of Ghana (MOWAG) has justified reasons for its intended strike action, which begins today, Thursday, September 26, 2024.
The General Secretary of Richard Kofi Jordan announced that all mortuary workers across the country will embark on an indefinite strike.
He lamented that members are working under deplorable conditions with high-level risks.
Mr. Jordan stated that they have issues such as inadequate personal protective equipment (PPE), unpaid salary arrears, and unfulfilled promises regarding bonuses.
One other major concern he raised was the failure on the part of the government to give financial clearance for new staff.
He explained that because of the poor salary they are paid, it has made the profession unattractive.
Mr. Jordan speaking in an interview on Nyankonton Mu Nsem on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM posited that all the various health professionals have received financial clearance to employ new staff, but the mortuary workers were yet to receive clearance.
This is not the first time we have written a letter declaring a strike. Last year, we declared a strike, but we were made to call off the strike on grounds that our concerns would be addressed. We have written several letters demanding for our concerns to be addressed, but nobody responded to our letters. We believe they don’t regard it, and so we have decided to embark on the strike action. At the moment, we don’t have PPEs to work with. We are forced to purchase them with our resources. The second issue is our salary and unpaid arrears, which date back to 2020. We have already negotiated this.
Our members are currently working 24 hours a day because we have inadequate mortuary workers. We need financial clearance so we can employ more people. We have been battling with the Ministry of Health and other agencies for some time now because of these issues, but they have refused to address them. We are seeking to have more mortuary workers join us because of the workload and the fewer people doing it. We need courageous people, and so, if you lack the courage, don’t apply, he said.
He also noted that the job is extremely difficult, and because of the myth surrounding the job and how poor the salary is, a lot of people shy away from it.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
