Ghana doctors declare strike over sale of national assets to minister’s hotel

The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has declared an indefinite strike to demand the cancellation of the sale of 60 percent shares in four hotels of the state-owned Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT).

The SSNIT administers the national pension scheme and owns major amounts of stock in Ghana’s principal companies.

In a notice on Friday, GMA outlined a strike roadmap that would begin with the withdrawal of all outpatient department (OPD) services from July 15 to 17.

From July 18–21, emergency services will cease, while a total withdrawal of all services will begin on July 22.

The development comes hours after the country’s organised labour declared an indefinite industrial action to press home the same demands.

Last month, Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, minister of employment and labour relations, who is also in charge of Ghana’s pension sector, granted the National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA) permission to approve the sale of the 60 percent shares of the four hotels.

The hotels are Labadi Beach Hotel, La Palm Royal Beach Resort, Elmina Beach Resort, and Ridge Royal Hotel.

The shares were sold to Rock City Hotel Limited, which belongs to Bryan Acheampong, minister for food and agriculture.

Speaking to parliament on Thursday, Baffour-Awah said the NPRA later directed SSNIT to halt the process for the sale of the shares to look into certain issues that have now been resolved.

Organised labour alongside the GMA said the deal to sell the hotels was not in the interest of Ghanaian workers.

The union instructed all workers not to go to work from Monday until SSNIT announces the termination of the deal to sell the shares of the four hotels.