Western Region Secretary of the Mortuary Workers Association of Ghana Noah Ayisi has indicated that the mortuary is a destination for many people including Presidents, and as such, they must be treated well.
Speaking in an interview with Nhyiraba Paa Kwesi Simpson, the host of Connect FM’s Omanbapa morning show about their impending strike, Mr. Noah Ayisi indicated that mortuary workers have been taken for granted by authorities.
He adds that authorities have over the years failed to find solutions to the challenges.
“They have taken our job as one for the illiterate, they have taken us for granted but they have forgotten that even if a president dies, his body will be brought to the mortuary. It is a very difficult job which must not be taken for granted,” he indicated.
The Mortuary Workers Association of Ghana (MOWAG) has served notice to embark on a nationwide indefinite strike, starting from Wednesday, November 29, 2023.
The Association indicates that its action has been necessitated by the failure of the government to resolve all their grievances.
Mr. Noah Ayisi indicates that some of their grievances include laundry allowance, Overtime allowance, Chemical allowance, and many others.
“When we send our clothes to the laundry, nobody wants to wash them for us and that is why we need the laundry allowance. We also work on holidays and overtime but nothing is added to our salaries, the chemicals we use to preserve dead bodies affect our health. Many of our members have died from kidney, liver, and other related disease as a result of the chemicals we use,” he indicated.
He adds that all the over 11 government mortuaries in the Western Region, for example, will be closed to the public until their grievances are met.
“The implications of the strike are that dead bodies will not be preserved. The mortuaries will not be opened for anybody to bring or take out dead bodies. We shall also not allow any other person who is not a mortician to operate the mortuaries in our absence,” he added.
He also debunked rumours that morticians sleep with dead bodies.
“I mostly hear people in vehicles and from the communities that morticians sleep with dead bodies. This thinking of society cannot be true because there is no life in dead bodies to even have fun with. They are even spirits there so sleeping with them makes no sense. Some fluids emanate from dead bodies and it’s not even healthy to get closer to it not to talk of sleeping with them. That is never true,” he indicated.
By Eric Nana Gyetuah|Connect FM|3news.com|Ghana