The leadership of the Health Workers Group has expressed disappointment at the Health Ministry's directive to the Controller and Accountant General to freeze salaries of health workers.

The affected health workers are those who took part in a unilateral 10-day strike in Accra at the beginning of March.

The Chief Director of the Ministry of Health, Lepowura M.N.D. Jawula on March 7th wrote to direct the freeze of the salaries.

But the President of the Group, Steven Corquaye says the directive is unfortunate and could disturb the industrial peace pertaining in the country.

He explained that the group called off their strike as a show of good goodwill to await the report of the Appellate Body and did not expect to be victimized.

Mr. Corquaye said “If that directive is carried out it will be an unfortunate decision because that will not augur well for our rank and file. As much as we the leadership have tried very much to call off the strike…to convince our rank and file to call off the strike, I think government should have reciprocated our kind gesture and not to actually bring out certain threats that might inflate passions so far as our membership is concerned.”

He maintained that the health workers would not have embarked on the strike in the first place if the Appellate Body had completed its work on time.

He said health workers are at the end of their patience, describing the strike as one for a legitimate cause which should not earn the workers the intimated punishment.

The Health Ministry however says severe sanctions including dismissals will soon be handed those involved.

Managers of hospitals and polyclinics have been directed to compile lists of staff who joined the industrial action between the 1st and 10th of March.

A source at the Ministry told Joy News that sanctions will be based on the number of days health workers absented themselves.