Ghanaian health workers report unpaid 13th-month salary and staff shortages
The Ghana Health Service Workers’ Union has reported the non-payment of a “13th-month salary” provided for by the collective agreement and an acute staff shortage in public healthcare facilities. According to MyJoyOnline, the union believes that the shortage of workers is overburdening existing staff and affecting the delivery of healthcare services.
Under the collective agreement, employees who have worked for 12 months are entitled to a payment equivalent to one additional monthly salary. Union representatives claim that this payment has remained outstanding since the agreement was reached with the employer.
Shortage of support staff
Jerry Detse Mensah-Pa, the union’s chief labour relations officer, described the unpaid allowance as one of several unresolved labour issues. Among others, he mentioned the distribution of staff among facilities and insufficient recruitment of non-medical workers.
According to him, major hospitals require additional personnel, including Komfo Anokye and Korle-Bu teaching hospitals, as well as Koforidua and Ridge hospitals. He noted that recruitment has mainly focused on doctors and nurses, while paramedics, disease control specialists, administrative staff, security guards, junior staff and labourers have received insufficient attention.
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The union also stressed the need for cleaners and other support workers necessary for hospital operations. According to the union, staff shortages are overburdening workers: some work excessively long hours and, the organization claims, face health problems.
Call for recruitment
The union criticized the hiring of temporary workers using funds independently generated by healthcare facilities. In its view, such funding does not ensure stable employment or proper working conditions.
Esther Akuma, the union’s Ashanti Region chairperson, said that promises regarding staff recruitment have gone on for too long without sufficient action. According to her, duties that should be performed by several people are increasingly assigned to one person, which is linked to a lack of workers, long working hours and difficulties balancing work with family responsibilities.
According to the union, the staff shortage also affects dietitians, clinical engineers, pharmacy technicians, field workers and radiology technicians. The organization called on the government and employers in the healthcare sector to address recruitment gaps and reinstate the affected workers on the public payroll.
