The National Labour Commission (NLC) has directed the Komfo Anokye Doctors’ Association (KADA) to immediately suspend its indefinite strike action, declaring the industrial action unlawful and in breach of Ghana’s labour laws.
In a statement issued in Accra, the Commission said it had taken note of media reports announcing the withdrawal of services by the doctors at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH).
According to the NLC, KADA formally communicated its decision to embark on the strike in a letter dated June 5, 2026, addressed to the Chairman of the Board of KATH, with copies sent to the Chief of Staff and the Minister of Health.
In the letter, the doctors’ association cited dissatisfaction with a number of operational and administrative decisions at the hospital, which it said had compelled its members to withdraw their services indefinitely.
However, the Commission said the notice failed to comply with the statutory procedures required for declaring industrial action under Ghana’s labour laws.
The NLC explained that the strike was improperly declared and therefore void, stressing that the appropriate legal processes had not been followed.
“KADA is advised that the notice was improperly served because it was not compliant with the relevant provisions of the Labour Law. Consequently, the Commission in exercise of its powers under section 139(d) of the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651) directs KADA to call off the strike immediately as the action contravenes sections 162 and 163 of Act 651,” the statement said.
The Commission further emphasised that adherence to due process in labour disputes is essential to maintaining industrial harmony and protecting access to essential healthcare services.
The directive adds a new layer of urgency to the impasse at KATH, one of the country’s leading referral hospitals, as authorities seek to restore normal healthcare delivery following the doctors’ withdrawal of services.
