In a significant step toward resolving longstanding tensions with healthcare workers, the government has approved two key allowances demanded by the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA). The decision, announced after high-level talks in Accra, is seen as a partial victory for nurses and midwives who have been pressing for improved working conditions under the 2024 Collective Agreement.
According to GRNMA officials, the government has agreed to implement both the book and research allowance and the uniform allowance, two items the association has long argued are essential for professional development and dignity on the job.
While welcoming the concessions, GRNMA President Perpetual Ofori-Ampofo emphasized that the broader demands including the 8% non-basic salary allowance and fuel allowance remain unresolved. “This is progress, but we’re not at the finish line,” she said. “Our members expect full implementation of agreement, not piecemeal gestures.”
The decision follows months of negotiations and a narrowly averted strike earlier this year. In June, the GRNMA suspended industrial action pending the outcome of dialogue with the Ministry of Health, the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, and Parliament’s Health Committee.
Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh acknowledged the government’s limited fiscal space but assured the association of continued engagement. He called the current outcome “a sign of good faith” and pledged that additional allowances would be considered in future budget cycles.
For now, the GRNMA says it will continue to monitor the situation and remains open to further dialogue but warned that patience has limits.
