Mortuary workers in Ghana have suspended the strike action they called on Tuesday, March 5.

This follows the intervention of the National Labour Commission (NLC) on Thursday.

A meeting was held with the leadership of the Mortuary Workers Association of Ghana in the presence of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC), whose representatives were directed by NLC to resume negotiations with the aggrieved workers.

The workers, who are in charge of dead bodies at morgues, are demanding pay rise and better conditions of service.

Mortuary workers to turn backs on corpses Tuesday to push for pay rise
The two parties – the workers and FWSC – are expected to report back to the NLC on Wednesday, March 13.

Speaking with TV3’s Daniel Opoku after the meeting, Richard Kofi Jordan, the General Secretary of the Association, said they are resuming work in respect for the NLC.

“We are holding it in abeyance. It is not off entirely.”

“Respectfully, the strike is not over,” he clarified.

He said they have suffered for far too long as some of his colleagues work without gloves and safety gears.

Executive Secretary of the NLC Ofosu Asamoah expressed hope that the issues will be resolved.

According to him, stakeholders initially assumed that the mortuary workers were part of the Health Service Workers Union (HSWU), which the aggrieved workers have denied.

He said the meeting on March 13 will have in attendance the Ministry of Health and representatives from the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations.