Korle-Bu Mortuary Men And Others To Demonstrate

Information reaching the Daily Democrat newspaper indicates that aggrieved members of staff of Korle-bu Teaching Hospital, numbering about 832 have already put in place plans to demonstrate massively to demand their difference in 18 months salary. The workers comprise mortuary attendants, the security, kitchen staff, health assistants, assistant accountants, caterers, maintenance staff from all the departments. The Daily Democrat was hinted that the salary arrears of the aggrieved workers started from January 2008 when government introduced the Ghana University Salary Structure (GUSS) which replaced the previous salary scheme. It was gathered that at all the subsequent meetings with representatives of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and management, they promised to change the salary from GUSS to Health Service Salary structure but all to no avail as authorities refused to pay. According to some workers, management promised that the GUSS takes effect from 1st July which was supposed to be implemented from January last year to June, resulting in 18 months arrears. Some of the aggrieved workers said about two weeks ago, they had a meeting with the CEO at Korle-Bu, Mr. Otu Nartey, who promised to pay them in 6 months installment starting from this month but this has not been done and rather has changed his mind saying they are going to be paid 2 months out of the 18 months. It was based on this that the workers are up in arms with management as they see it as a breach of agreement. �Though their employment letter stated that after six month you will be put on the Ghana Health Service Salary but it has not been done. Any time they go to management, they say they don�t have money, meanwhile, they keep on employing people up to date,� another employee said. The aggrieved workers complain that they pay for some medications like injections for hepatitis �B, which they say, is very unfortunate.