The strike of the mortuary workers enters the third day

General News on Friday, May 31, 2019

Source: citinewsroom.com

2019-05-31

The morgue workers' strike has entered its third day, creating uneasiness for families looking for their bodies for the funeral this weekend.

At the morgue of the Korle Bu University Hospital, several people who came to search for the bodies of their relatives have already been turned away.

The morgue agents under the generic name of MOWAG, the Ghana Mortuary Workers Association, are struggling with the government to increase their wages and improve their conditions of service for several months.

The national president of the badociation, Edward Mensah, said the strike would continue until their demands are met.

"Unless the government hears us, calls us and we understand and our people are in agreement … [before] they will cancel the strike, "he told Citi News.

"Maybe they should postpone their funerals or that sort of thing. We do not fight with the family, but they should talk to the government to get along and we will all go together. "

This is the second time that morgue workers are going on strike after a similar strike on March 4, 2019.

This strike was interrupted, however, three days after the government's badurances.

However, negotiations between the badociation and the Commission on just wages and salaries seem to have broken down, forcing workers to redefine their tools.

During the three-day strike, several bereaved families were also left in public death cells across the country; unable to retrieve the bodies of their loved ones to bury or deposit them.

Bereaved families stranded at Wa

Some bereaved families who went to the Upper West Regional Hospital to recover their bodies were left isolated, hospital morgue staff refusing to take care of them. because of the national strike declared by their leaders.

Latif Mahama, regional correspondent for Citi News in the Upper West, who went to the morgue, said that although some of the morgue employees came to work, they kept the morgue under the morgue. key in strict respect of the strike.

He added that about five corpses were reportedly released at the regional hospital morgue, but that the mortuary was under lock and three capable men were guarding it.

"The bereaved families were not allowed to access the morgue. The main exit of the establishment was also locked, "he added.

In an interview with Citi News, Dr. Osei Kuffour Afreh, Regional Director of Health Services of the Upper West, said the facility management had met with the morgue's staff to convince them of the future. 39, cancel their strike action.