The Health Services Workers Union (HSWU) has said Government’s decision to implement their Collective Agreement from January 2017 was against the principle of negotiation.

According to the Union, they had signed a Collective Agreement with Government to take effect from January 2016, however, Government without consultation with the Union, decided to implement it from January 2017.

It therefore called on Government to arrange a stakeholder meeting as a matter of urgency to resolve all the pertinent issues that have been identified after the call for the implementation of the Collective Agreement by the Minister of Finance.

An official statement issued by the General Secretary of HSWU, Reynolds O. Tenkorang and copied the Ghana News Agency in Accra, called on all members to remain calm as the Union resolutely fights to ensure that the Collective Agreement was implemented as agreed.

“We shall also continue to fight for the payment of pensions based on the rules and regulations governing pensions and nothing else.

“One matter that engaged the attention of the Union during the previous year was the inadequate payment of social security benefits under the PNDC Law 247 of 1991 by Social Security and National Insurance Trust.

“The Union has conducted a study on the computations and will make public the findings at a symposium on Wednesday, September 13, 2017, in Accra,” it added.

The statement also uses the occasion to salute all members ahead of their Union Week celebration this year, which fell on September 13.

It expressed the leadership’s gratitude to the entire membership for their commitment and hard work which have helped promote quality health care in Ghana over the years.

This year’s HSWU Week celebration is on the theme, “Tier 2 Pension in the Public Service; Reality or a Mirage”.

The statement said the theme was chosen because of the myriad of challenges facing the Scheme, adding, “about 80 months contributions have not been paid to four public Sector Schemes by Government, which was against the requirements of an out of court settlement reached between the Unions and government.

“This matter is critical because come January 2020 our members will be retiring and it is not clear as at now, how much they will be entitled to, to enable them plan their retirement comfortably,” it added.