Honour Agreements Without Delay – Justice Yankson Criticizes Gov’t Over Strikes

Ex-GMA Secretary Dr. Justice Yankson Criticizes Government Over Poor Handling of Labour Agreements

Former General Secretary of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), Dr. Justice Yankson, has publicly criticized the government for its ongoing mishandling of labour agreements with professional bodies, especially within the healthcare sector.

Speaking on Joy FM’s Newsfile, Dr. Yankson expressed deep concern over the government’s failure to honour agreements made with labour unions. His comments come in the wake of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) suspending their strike action. The strike had significantly impacted healthcare delivery across the country and was only paused to allow for further dialogue.

Dr. Yankson made it clear that once the government commits to an agreement, it has a responsibility to follow through.

“Once government agrees on something with professional bodies, it just honours it,” he stated firmly.

With nearly 20 years of experience in labour negotiations, Dr. Yankson described a recurring pattern of neglect and last-minute interventions from the government. According to him, this cycle often leads to preventable strikes and industrial actions.

He elaborated on how these situations typically unfold:

“The moment you go into the details proper and see the trajectory that they may have traversed up till today, the nuances, the discussions, the disagreements and all of it, then you begin to realize that we need to pause, have a good and critical look at their issues and resolve them.”

Dr. Yankson emphasized that most workers do not rush into strikes lightly. In his view, strikes are typically a last resort after years of delayed or ignored commitments.

“I’ve been in the thick of these negotiations for close to two decades. I can confidently say that in most cases, workers give ample time—sometimes years—for the employer to do the right thing. But when that doesn’t happen, they are left with no option but to take action.”

He also criticized the government’s tendency to wait until a full-blown crisis erupts before taking negotiations seriously. According to Dr. Yankson, many of these disputes could be avoided entirely with timely and sincere engagement.

“When the actions happen, the engagements sometimes don’t even improve. It takes days before the employer even comes to the table. But when they finally do, it often takes just hours or a day or two to resolve the issues. So, I keep asking: why do we always wait until things escalate?”

Dr. Yankson’s remarks have reignited the conversation around how labour relations are managed in Ghana, especially in critical sectors like health. His call is simple yet powerful—respect agreements, engage in genuine dialogue, and avoid the unnecessary strain industrial actions place on both workers and the public.

As Ghana continues to face challenges in healthcare delivery, experts like Dr. Yankson urge the government to prioritize fair and proactive labour relations to ensure long-term stability and trust in the system.