The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) has stated that it is willing to engage with the Ministry of Health; however, it will not revisit negotiations on issues that have already been agreed upon. This announcement follows a nationwide strike by nurses and midwives that began on June 4, 2025, in response to the government’s failure to implement the provisions of their 2024 Collective Agreement, which include allowances, incentives, and improved working conditions.
In response to the strike, Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh highlighted the importance of dialogue and encouraged all parties to come together to find a resolution. However, during an interview on the Citi Breakfast Show on Monday, June 9, 2025, Jefferson Asare, the GRNMA Greater Accra Regional Chairman, clarified that while the association is open to discussions, it will not entertain any attempts to reopen negotiations on matters that have already been finalized.
“We are ready to meet. If we receive a letter now, we will move anywhere they want us to go. But for renegotiation, we are not ready,” Mr. Asare stated. He further stressed that among the various groups in the health sector, it is only nurses and midwives whose agreed-upon conditions of service remain unfulfilled.
“In the health ecosystem, it is not only nurses who have problems with the conditions of service. But we are the only group whose conditions of service have not been implemented,” he added. The ongoing strike has disrupted healthcare services across the country, prompting calls from stakeholders and the public for a swift resolution. GRNMA maintains that the government must honour its commitments rather than attempt to renegotiate already-settled terms.
By: William Narh
