The nation’s health sector will suffer more paralysis as the Joint Health Sector Unions and Assembly of Health Care Professionals (JOHESU) have announced they will begin strike apparently over the failure to reach an agreement with the Federal Government over the demands of the workers.
JOHESU made this announcement on Sunday at the expiration of the 15-day ultimatum it earlier issued to the government for a seven-day warning strike, stressing that effective mid-night on Sunday, the members will withdraw their services from all health institutions across the country.
The union said it is going on strike to press home their demands, which include structural and infrastructural decay in the nation’s health sector, the review of the implementation of COVID-19 special inducement and hazard allowance among others.
The Federal Government Thursday pleaded with the workers to shelve the strike in order not to increase pressure on the already troubled health sector. Minister of Labour and Employment Chris Ngige, had made the call during a meeting between the Federal Government and the JOHESU in Abuja on Thursday, adding that the federal government has done enough for the health sector that may not have been appreciated by the health workers.
The union appears unsatisfied with government’s response to their demands and after the JOHESU leadership met with their members, there was a unanimous decision to proceed with the strike.
The statement from JOHESU read: “You would recall that at the end of the meeting held in your office (Minister of Labour and Employment) on Thursday, 10″ September, 2020, JOHESU demanded that the outcome of the meeting between JOHESU and the Federal Government be reported back to our expanded NEC meeting and give a feed back to the Federal government within 48 hours.
“In the light of the above, the meeting of our expanded NEC was held today, Saturday, 12″ September, 2020. And at the end of the meeting, which was held both physically and virtually, it was unanimously agreed that since nothing concrete was achieved at the said meeting with the Federal Government, that the strike notice is still germane and alive.
“Therefore, the 15-day ultimatum still subsists and with effect from midnight of Sunday, 13th September, 2020, our members shall withdraw their services due to Federal Government inability to meet their demands.”
The statement was signed by Biobelemoye Joy Josiah, President Medical & Health Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MHWUN); Silas Adamu, Secretary General (MHWUN); A. A. Adenij, President, National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM); A. A. Shettima General of NANNM; A. B. Akintola President, Senior Staff Association of Universities Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes And Associated Institutions (SSAUTHRIAI); Ezekiel Popoola, General Secretary of SSAUTHRIAI.
Others are: Martin Egbanubi, General Secretary Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP); O.Ogbonna, President of NUAHP; Hassan Makolo, National President, Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational & Associated Institutions (NASU) and P. A. Adeyemi, General Secretary of NASU.
A source from the Ministry of Labour and Employment told BusinessDay on Sunday that “it is disheartening that the union has announced strike while the government was making more efforts to resolve the issues.” The source noted that the union did not get back to government on the outcome of its NEC meeting before announcing strike.
The source however, said the government will continue negotiations next week to resolve the issues.
