Families were on September 26, unable to access the Korle-Bu Hospital Mortuary to retrieve the remains of deceased loved ones. Also, persons who wanted to deposit corpses at the mortuary for preservation were disappointed as the mortuary workers were on strike to demand better working conditions.
During TV3’s visit to the Korle-Bu morgue, the news team met groups of families that were left disappointed and distraught upon knowing that the morticians are not working. After spending hours at the morgue without any getting attention, they later moved to seek solace under some trees for shade.
Despite not granting us any formal interviews, they expressed total displeasure at the move, detailing how that is going to affect their burial plans. Some of the families would have needed the bodies released on Thursday to prepare for burials over the weekend but could not get access to them. The mortuary workers’ strike is to protest the deplorable conditions and unfair treatment faced by morticians. They also lament the hazardous environments, inadequate protective gear, and insufficient facilities they have to work with, adding that the lack of respect for their critical services has pushed them to the edge.
Labour Law Backs Strike
Section 159 of Ghana’s Labour Law, Act 651 (2003), legitimises the strike, allowing workers to withdraw services due to unsafe or unfair conditions. The MOWAG members said they are demanding improvement in their working conditions, fair wages and benefits and overtime pay.
Smell at morgue
The workers told TV3 off the record that they would not dress the bodies for days and would not hesitate to allow them to smell until authorities attend to their demands.
By: Christian Yalley
