When Justice Turns Its Back on the Unpaid: A Call for Fairness and Dignity for Ghana’s Health Workers

For nearly ten months, nurses and midwives in Ghana have gone without their salaries. These are professionals who continue to show up each day, caring for the sick and keeping essential health services running, despite the growing strain of unpaid labour. Instead of receiving the empathy and justice they deserve, some are now facing disciplinary action for expressing frustration and participating in peaceful demonstrations. It is difficult to reconcile how those deprived of their lawful earnings are the ones being punished for demanding what is rightfully theirs.

Article 21(1)(d) and (e) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana guarantees the right of every citizen to freedom of assembly, including the freedom to take part in processions and demonstrations. These are not privileges granted at the convenience of political leaders; they are inalienable rights that form the bedrock of a democratic society. The right to assemble, to associate, and to express oneself freely is essential to the exercise of all other rights. Participation in peaceful demonstrations is, therefore, not a breach of duty but an affirmation of citizenship. It allows people to share collective concerns, demand accountability, and help shape public decisions that affect their lives.

Public servants, as citizens, do not surrender these rights by virtue of their employment. When salaries are delayed for nearly a year, it is both lawful and reasonable for workers to question and demand answers from those responsible. Demonstrations and open expression are legitimate responses to prolonged economic hardship, especially when dialogue fails. To penalize individuals for speaking out only deepens public mistrust and undermines the democratic values that the Constitution seeks to protect.

The recent incident involving Staff Nurse Bernice Aboagye, who was reportedly queried for making comments about the Minister for Health, is an unfortunate reminder of how easily criticism can be misconstrued as misconduct. The Ministry’s subsequent appeal for leniency is commendable, and the Minister’s assurance that he welcomes constructive criticism reflects a commitment to openness. Yet the fact remains that the initial act of discipline sends a chilling message to others in similar situations—that questioning authority or voicing frustration could attract punishment.

These subtle exertions of pressure within public institutions risk suppressing free expression and normalizing fear. When dissent is stifled and workers are made to feel unsafe in speaking truth to power, the ground begins to shift away from democracy toward authoritarian control. The right to peaceful assembly cannot be curtailed by mere administrative discomfort or political sensitivity. It may only be limited under law, and only when necessary to protect national security, public safety, or the rights of others. Nothing about a nurse, teacher, or civil servant asking for their salaries threatens any of these interests.

The Constitution does not exist to protect authority from criticism but to protect citizens from abuse of authority. It provides the framework within which both government and governed can coexist in fairness, dignity, and accountability. To query or intimidate workers who are already suffering economic distress is to disregard not only their legal rights but also their humanity. Ten months without pay is not a disciplinary matter—it is a moral and constitutional failure that calls for urgent redress.

Turning Point Foundation believes that this issue extends beyond one nurse or one ministry. It reflects a broader question of whether Ghana remains committed to the principles of justice, fairness, and democratic accountability that underpin our public health system. The strength of that system depends not only on infrastructure or policy but on the dignity and well-being of the professionals who sustain it. The state must demonstrate that it values its health workers—not by silencing their frustrations, but by listening to them and addressing their concerns in good faith.

Health workers who speak out about unpaid salaries or poor conditions are not being defiant; they are fulfilling a duty to advocate for better care and a stronger system. They deserve respect, support, and restitution—not punishment. Upholding their rights is not an act of favour but a constitutional and ethical obligation that ensures a fair, responsive, and humane health sector.