GRNMA Open to Talks but Rules Out Renegotiation as Nationwide Strike Continues

Accra, Ghana – June 9, 2025
The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) has reaffirmed its openness to dialogue with the Ministry of Health, but has firmly ruled out any renegotiation of already agreed-upon provisions under its 2024 Collective Agreement.

This comes as the nurses and midwives’ nationwide strike, which began on June 4, 2025, enters its sixth day, disrupting healthcare delivery in both public and mission hospitals across the country.

Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Monday, Jefferson Asare, GRNMA Greater Accra Regional Chairman, stated the association’s willingness to attend any meeting invited by the Ministry but was emphatic that any reopening of negotiations on agreed matters is off the table.

“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,” he stated.

The strike is grounded in the government’s failure to implement the 2024 Collective Agreement, which includes unpaid allowances, incentives, and improved working conditions. Despite prior commitments, nurses and midwives argue that the government has not followed through, even as other health professionals have had their conditions honoured.

“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,” Mr. Asare added.

Government’s Call for Dialogue

Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has called for calm and urged both sides to return to the negotiation table to resolve the impasse. He has expressed hope that ongoing communication could de-escalate the situation and restore normalcy to health services.

However, GRNMA insists that the matter is not one of fresh negotiation but of implementation.

Impact and Public Concern

The prolonged strike continues to place strain on Ghana’s healthcare system, particularly in maternal and emergency care. Patients have reported long wait times, cancelled appointments, and a shortage of skilled professionals in several facilities.

Civil society groups and health advocates are urging both the government and GRNMA to reach a compromise swiftly, noting that lives may be at stake if the impasse persists.

GRNMA has remained resolute, stating that the strike will continue until the government fully honours its obligations.

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