Mortuary workers temporarily suspend strike

The Mortuary Workers Association of Ghana (MOWAG) has temporarily suspended its indefinite strike which commenced today, September 27.

However, MOWAG has given the government a two-week ultimatum to address their pressing demands.

The General Secretary, Richard Kofi Jordan, has vowed they will not hesitate to resume their strike if their demands are not met by October 10.

“I am therefore directing my members, as I speak to you, that we should begin work immediately and serve the good people of this country. But it doesn’t mean that we have suspended it or called it off. We are really keeping it in abundance.

“We do not need to inform anybody before we trigger it. Starting on the 10th of October, from today, if we still have even one person who has not received what he has to receive, we trigger the strike. And this time round, it will not be nice,” he said in an interview with Accra-based Channel One TV.

MOWAG declared a nationwide strike over their working conditions, demanding the provision of adequate personal protective equipment (PPE), resolution of salary arrears, and financial clearance for the hiring of 500 new mortuary workers.

Additionally, they are seeking the settlement of salary arrears that were negotiated in 2020 and financial clearance for the recruitment of 500 new personnel.

But following a meeting with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, Mr Jordan said the government must put in place measures to meet their demands.

“Our demands are very straightforward and easy, they don’t affect the economy in any way. Our numbers are so small that it has no empirical bearing on the economy or even the budget. We are talking about PPEs, which is first, non-negotiable.

“It ought to be there already. PPEs or personal protective equipment, it is non-negotiable. It has to be provided with immediate effect, adequately. Number two has to do with some salary arrears, which was negotiated somewhere in 2020, which is still being manipulated by some few people, refusing to pay to us,” he added.

Meanwhile, some families in the Ashanti region on Thursday suffered the brunt of the day-old strike.