Striking Nigerian health workers say they won’t resume until their demands are met.
On Wednesday, health workers across Nigeria under the umbrella body of the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) began an indefinite strike action to press home their demands.
Members of the union that are on strike include National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Medical and Health Workers Union (MHWUN), and Senior Staff Association of University Teaching Hospitals. Others include Research Institutes and Associated Institutions, Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals and Non-academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutes.
Addressing newsmen in Nigeria’s capital city of Abuja, Obisesan Oluwatuyi, General Secretary of the Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP) whose members are also participating in the strike action said they would not call off the strike until government meets their demands.
“The soldiers have been let loose, no retreat, no surrender until government does the needful,” he said.
It would be recalled that the union had previously notified the government and other stakeholders that its members would embark on a nationwide indefinite strike due to the failure of the Nigerian government to meet their demands.
In his remark, JOHESU president, Josiah Biobelemoye, accused the government of “insensitivity and lackadaisical attitude of drivers of the health sector”.
JOHESU’s demands
The union is asking for upward adjustment of CONHESS Salary Scale, arrears of skipping of CONHESS 10 and employment of additional health professionals.
It also wants the government to implement court judgments and upward review of retirement age from 60 to 65 years.
Biobelemoye recalled that the union suspended its last nationwide strike on Sept. 30, last year, after signing a Memorandum of Terms of Settlement (MOTS), with the federal government.
According to him, the MOTS was supposed to be implemented within five weeks after the date of suspension of the strike.
He, however, noted that six months after the suspension of the nationwide strike, government was yet to do anything tangible over the pending issues.
According to him, the union had on Feb. 5 given a fresh 21-day ultimatum to enable government meet the agreement reached. He added that the union gave an additional 30 working days effective from March 5, after the expiration of the earlier 21 days ultimatum.
“It is disheartening to note that after six months of suspension of our last strike and still counting, the Federal Government has not done anything tangible over pending issues especially on the flagship issue of CONHESS adjustment and payment of arrears of CONHESS 10 skipping.
“On April 5, 2018, the Minister of Labour and Employment invited the leadership of JOHESU for a meeting wherein we were told that our issues were still being looked into, this shows that government is taking JOHESU for a ride,’’ he said.
The union also hinted that it would urge members at the state and local government health institutions to mobilize for possible solidarity strike if government failed to attend to their demands.
He asked traditional leaders, elder statesmen, opinion leaders and general public to prevail on government to implement MOTS entered into with JOHESU on September 30, 2017.
Biobelemoye explained that JOHESU members were not clamouring for equality with doctors but equity and justice, advising medical doctors and the Federal Ministry of Health to change their perception of the demands.