Employment and Labour Relations Minister, Haruna Iddrisu is highly confident President Mahama would have the bragging rights of getting conditions of service in place for health workers under his leadership.

He told Joy News Monday, June 29, 2015 that a committee has been tasked to work on it and submit a report within 14 days. He therefore expects the “financial implications” in relation to the conditions of service to be read two days after the committee has presented its report for the Finance Minister’s consideration.

The Ghana Medical Association had pledged to quit the public sector en masse if an agreement on their conditions of service was not reached by June 30.

But after an emergency extraordinary meeting held today at the College of Surgeons and Physician, the doctors agreed to give government 30 more days to finish their conditions of service. The doctors have expressed confidence in the negotiation process so far.  

The Employment and Labour Relations Minister welcomed the gesture and in commending the GMA leadership said it was incumbent on the government to reciprocate the goodwill by ensuring that the conditions of service in the health sector is fixed.

“The framework has already been agreed upon and we are optimistic that President Mahama will add it to part of his leadership in terms of achievement within the social sector in bequeathing to the health workers of Ghana a formalized, negotiated and acceptable conditions of service that will guide employment and related matters in the health sector.”

Although negotiations “have come very far”, Harruna Iddrisu admitted the issue has dragged because getting the health sector’s conditions of service “has not been easy” involving tasking a committee and seeking opinions from various quarters such as the Attorney General’s Department and the Fair Wages and Salary Commission.

He assured the public and doctors that government will “walk the talk” in order to meet GMA's demand including that of pharmacists, nurses, midwives and all players within the health sector

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Health Committee in Parliament, Joseph Yileh-Chireh has tasked the Health and Employment Ministers to ensure that a deal is reached with the Ghana Medical Association over their conditions of service.

He is confident the Ministry will be able to come up with the conditions of service by the end of July.

Also, the frequency at which health ministers are changed has delayed negotiations because each minister would have to spend time to go over volumes of documents, he assessed.

Meanwhile, the Deputy General Secretary of the Ghana Medical Association, Dr. Justice Yankson says the general assembly have already decided on the next line of action should government fail to meet their demands by July 31