Laboratory scientists in public hospitals have accused the Health Minister, Kwaku Agyeman Manu, of bad faith after he failed to sign an agreement to end a national strike set to enter day six.

The Memorandum of Understanding took two days of talks to craft and a Friday meeting at the Health ministry was expected to end with the minister's signature and an announcement to end the strike.

But the leadership of the Ghana Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists say they received a late call from the ministry to push to venue of the meeting to the National Labour Commission (NLC).

"What kind of invitation is that?" Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists, Dennis Adu Gyasi, told Joy FM's Top Story.

The striking Lab Scientists said they smelled ambush tactics by the Health ministry to get the Commission to intervene despite successful talks.

"We thought that we should not be ambushed in that manner," the PRO expressed his suspicion of the Health Minister.

The NLC has ordered the Ghana Association of Medical Laboratory (GAMLS) scientists to call off their five-day-old nationwide strike with immediate effect to pave way for a compulsory arbitration to begin on their concerns over salary arrears, conditions of service and the lack of a policy document.

GAMLS Public Relations Officer Dennis Adu Gyasi has expressed disappointment in the Health minister following the NLC intervention.

He said all through the week the minister has not expressed any desire or interest to resolve the matter. The PRO said the minister never attended any of the negotiations, preferring to send his advisors.

"The minister is hiding from meeting us," he said and stated the Association's willingness to end the strike.

The Association has said it has not received the statement of the NLC to call off the strike but said it would seek legal advice before taking a decision.

Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists, Dennis Adu Gyasi, has signalled their readiness to abide by the law.

Listen to the audio