The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) has officially announced the immediate suspension of their nationwide industrial action.
The decision, which paves the way for the over 120,000 nurses and midwives to resume work on Saturday, June 14th, follows days of intense disagreement with their employers that had led to widespread disruption to essential healthcare services across the country.
Mrs. Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo, President of the GRNMA, confirmed the positive news following prior deliberations with stakeholders during a virtual news conference today.
“The engagement held with the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health and other interested parties on Thursday, 12th June 2025, was very fruitful, and has paved the way for an amicable resolution of the impasse with our employer, concerning the implementation of our collective bargaining agreement.”
Mrs. Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo, President of the GRNMA
This fruitful dialogue, the GRNMA President noted, has led to the immediate suspension of the industrial action, a decision contingent on the outcome of a follow-up meeting scheduled for June 26, 2025.
Mrs. Ofori-Ampofo directed all GRNMA members to report back to their respective workplaces, signaling the imminent restoration of full healthcare services across the nation.
The GRNMA President passionately articulated the rationale behind their industrial action, clarifying that while they do not “take delight in seeing our patients suffer,” they equally “cannot take good care of others when the system does not take good care of us.”
This statement powerfully conveys the dilemma faced by healthcare professionals who, despite their dedication, are compelled to resort to industrial action when their welfare and working conditions are not adequately addressed.
Collective Bargaining Certificate
Mrs. Ofori-Ampofo further emphasized the GRNMA’s identity as a non-partisan and professional association and trade union, holding a collective bargaining certificate covering all nurses and midwives in Ghana.
“In its 65 years of existence, the association has never aligned with any party in Ghana; rather, it has worked with every government since 1960 in building a strong and more resilient health system responding to the needs of Ghanaians, while at the same time representing the interests of nurses and midwives in matters related to their welfare and general working conditions”
Mrs. Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo, President of the GRNMA
The GRNMA President extended her profound appreciation to the leadership and members of the Parliamentary Committee on Health for their timely and critical intervention, which provided a clear framework for progressing with the implementation of their collective agreement.
She also commended the nursing and midwifery fraternity for their unwavering adherence to the roadmap outlined by the association, demonstrating their unity and discipline during the challenging period.
Furthermore, she acknowledged the crucial role played by the media in effectively airing their concerns, helping to bring their grievances to national attention.
Calls for Compliance
In a final appeal to the public, Mrs. Ofori-Ampofo urged Ghanaians to resist misinformation, disinformation, and propaganda when dealing with critical national issues, emphasizing the importance of objective discourse in resolving such matters.
The breakthrough arrived after a high-stakes meeting held on Thursday, June 12, 2025, between the Parliament Select Committee on Health and all key stakeholders.
This crucial session brought together the leadership of the GRNMA, representatives from the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Finance, and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission.
The strike, which commenced on June 2, 2025, and escalated to a full withdrawal of services by June 9, had severely impacted public hospitals and clinics, leaving thousands of patients, particularly those with chronic health conditions, in precarious situations.
Vital services such as dialysis, cancer treatment, hypertension management, and emergency care were either inaccessible or drastically reduced, leading to widespread public anxiety and urgent calls from civil society organisations to address the growing humanitarian crisis.
The calling off of the strike brings immense relief to countless patients and their families who have endured significant hardship and anxiety over the past two weeks.
It marks a crucial step towards stabilizing Ghana’s healthcare system and underscores the vital role of negotiation and dialogue in resolving industrial disputes.
While the immediate crisis has been averted, the GRNMA’s commitment to ensuring the full implementation of their collective agreement signals that advocacy for improved welfare and working conditions for nurses and midwives will continue.
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