The National Labour Commission (NLC) has initiated legal action against the Government and Hospital Pharmacists’ Association (GHOSPA) for embarking on strike while negotiations were ongoing over their grievances.

GHOSPA began a nationwide strike on Monday, September 5 over members’ interim market premium, which they claim have been denied them for so long by government.

The strike is already biting hard at the major health facilities in the country with GHOSPA planning to scale it up from next week if their demands are not met.

But the Labour Commission says the pharmacists acted in bad faith as it was due to engage them in compulsory arbitration after talks between them and the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission broke down.

Executive Secretary of the Commission Charles Adongo Bawaduah told TV3‘s Daniel Opoku that a motion has been filed at the Labour Division of the High Court.

The motion, he explains, is to enjoin the pharmacists to resume work as talks continue.

He said even though the pharmacists like all workers are justified in demands for better conditions of service, “they should take note that they have a responsibility to ensure that people do not die needless deaths”.