The Government and Hospital Pharmacists Association (GHOSPA) has threatened to embark on an indefinite nationwide strike action with effect from Monday 7th November, 2011. A statement issued in Accra and signed by Stephen Corquaye National Chairman GHOSPA accused the Wages and Salaries Commission of employing “deceitful tactics” and displaying “a clear disregard and contempt for agreements it reached with GHOSPA”. below is the full statement GHOSPA EMBARKS ON AN INDEFINITE NATIONWIDE STRIKE ACTION WITH EFFECT FROM MONDAY 7TH NOVEMBER, 2011 The Government and Hospital Pharmacists Association (GHOSPA), which is made up of all pharmacists in public sector employment has resolved to embark on an indefinite nationwide strike action with effect from Monday 7th November, 2011. This decision was taken at a national emergency meeting at Accra on Friday 4th November, 2011, to discuss impending issues regarding the migration of pharmacists unto the SSSS. The strike action became necessary because, while GHOSPA on its part had negotiated in good faith and resorted to due process, the fair Wages And Salaries Commission (FWSC) on the contrary, employed deceitful tactics and has displayed a clear disregard and contempt for agreements it reached with GHOSPA as far as the on-going negotiations towards migration of pharmacists onto the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS) is concerned. Currently, GHOSPA and the FWSC are at a stalemate since outstanding issues regarding SSSS grades and market premium for pharmacists have not been fully resolved. This followed a period of one month since the National Labour Commission (NLC) directed the two parties to resolve any issues. At its final sitting, GHOSPA and the FWSC concluded that, distortions in existing relativity between pharmacists and other health professionals remain unresolved and both parties were in a stalemate. Consequently, GHOSPA and the FWSC mutually agreed that, the issue be referred to the NLC for arbitration. It was also agreed that, in the mean time, GHOSPA would not be migrated unto the SSSS until issues regarding pharmacist grades and market premium were fully resolved. The controller and accountant general department was to be informed by FWSC to process and pay the present health salaries to pharmacists to cover the month of October pending these agreements. However, contrary to these agreements, reliable information gathered by GHOSPA indicates that the FWSC has: • blatantly breached the agreements between the two parties • disregarded the National Labour Commission • ignored due process and the sentiments of GHOSPA And is in the process of unilaterally migrating pharmacists unto the single spine salary structure without GHOSPA’s consent or agreement. Even though we regret this unpleasant strike action, it is worth noting that, our keen pursuit of, and adherence to due process has not yielded any desired result since the FWSC, our employers and the government has sadly and clearly taken GHOSPA for granted. Any consequences of this industrial action should lie at the doorstep of the FWSC, the Labour Commission and the government. We demand as a matter of urgency that any attempts to migrate pharmacists unto the SSSS without their consent be halted before we can avail ourselves for any further negotiation, arbitration or discussion on the subject. Signed Stephen Corquaye (GHOSPA National Chairman)