Bereaved families have been stranded at the Komfo Anokye Teaching hospital (KATH) morgue and other morgues of some government hospitals in the Ashanti Region, as a result of the industrial action by the Mortuary Workers Association of Ghana (MOWAG).
Some of the stranded families who spoke to Kumasi FM’s Elisha Adarkwah said they were told about the strike after they had gone through the necessary processes and documentation for the release of the remains of their late relatives.
They said the strike has affected them negatively since they have already prepared for the funeral ceremonies of their departed loved ones this weekend.
Mr Emmanuel Essilfie, the Regional Chairman of MOWAG, confirmed that he and other workers at various government health posts were not working as a result of the strike.
He said they will not return to work until their demands were met.
The mortuary workers began a sit-down strike today, Wednesday, 29 May 2019.
MOWAG is demanding better working conditions, which, it says, the Ministry of Health (MoH) has failed to address.
A letter signed by the group’s General Secretary, Mr Richard Kofi Jordan, said the workers will not succumb to any form of coercion once they have begun the strike until their demands are met without condition.
Their concerns include the lack of maintenance of mortuary facilities, denial of their mandated annual leave, failure to review their remuneration, and the lack of protective clothing, among others.
The group had earlier announced a similar nationwide strike scheduled for Thursday, 2 May 2019 but later rescinded its decision upon the intervention by the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC).
However, a roadmap to address their demands has not been drawn
