The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) has reluctantly suspended its nationwide strike following intense negotiations with government representatives and key health sector stakeholders.
After days of halted healthcare services and growing concern across the country, a critical meeting convened by the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health brought together striking nurses, midwives, and government officials. The result: a compromise that temporarily averted a prolonged healthcare crisis.
According to Philemon Gyapong, Deputy Public Relations Officer of the GRNMA, the association was caught between escalating pressure from its membership and the government’s call for a phased resolution. Speaking to Channel One Newsroom on Friday, June 13, Gyapong admitted the leadership faced serious internal resistance to returning to work without firm commitments.
“It was a very difficult and tough one. As leaders, our hands were tight,” he said. “Our members insisted they would not return unless we had achieved something concrete.”
Government negotiators proposed a phased approach—prioritizing some of the GRNMA’s key demands for immediate action while deferring others to 2026. Though reluctant, union leaders eventually agreed to the proposal, citing the productive nature of the discussions as a decisive factor in their decision to pause the strike.
Among the demands outlined in the GRNMA’s 2024 Collective Agreement are a 13th-month salary, fuel and medical allowances, rural incentive allowances, and support for renewing professional licenses. The union is also pushing for expedited postings and the clearing of unpaid allowances.
While details of the final compromise remain unclear, what is evident is the association’s balancing act—securing some concessions while holding off on others. The government, in turn, has called for sustained dialogue to fully address the outstanding grievances.
Though health services are gradually resuming, the GRNMA warns that the suspension is not an end to their advocacy but a signal to the government that further delays may trigger renewed action.
