GRNMA rejects govt’s 2026 proposal as “unfair”

The nationwide strike by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) is still ongoing, with no resolution reached following an emergency meeting with the Ministry of Health.

The Ministry held a closed-door meeting on Monday, June 9, with GRNMA leaders and other key health sector stakeholders in an attempt to end the impasse and negotiate improved conditions of service.

Vice President of GRNMA, Samuel Akoto Alagkora, told journalists after the meeting that the Ministry cited budgetary constraints as the reason for the government’s delay in addressing the association’s demands.

He disclosed that the government proposed to defer the agreed conditions of service to 2026—an offer GRNMA has rejected as unfair.

Alagkora said the association’s National Council will consider the government’s proposal and decide on the next course of action.

“We were told that there was no budget provision for it, and these conditions of service were presented to the government in January, and we expected that they would be factored into this year’s budget. Unfortunately, we are being told that the challenges of the implementation are such that they have budget constraints.

“And what they wanted us to agree on was to push the implementation to 2026. What it means is that they wanted to set the conditions of the service calendar so that it will be like we have just renegotiated, and then we are moving on, so that the idea of arrears will not come in. This is not fair,” he said.

Meanwhile, Spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, Tony Goodman, underscored that the Ministry remains open to further proposals and feedback from the leadership of the GRNMA and is willing to make necessary adjustments where possible.

“We are open to any proposals they may also come back with. We are open to any discussion. We are not saying that whatever position we have is what they should take. They may also have their own position. We will look at it and see if necessary, we will adjust. That is what negotiation is about,” he said.