Court breaks JOHESU strike, orders mediation

A ruling by the National Industrial court has broken the prolonged strike by the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), ordering striking workers and government representatives to go into alternative dispute resolution. The court ruled on a motion by a nongovernment organisation demanding JOHESU to end its strike within 24 hours. JOHESU said the NGO went […]

A ruling by the National Industrial court has broken the prolonged strike by the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), ordering striking workers and government representatives to go into alternative dispute resolution.

The court ruled on a motion by a nongovernment organisation demanding JOHESU to end its strike within 24 hours.

JOHESU said the NGO went to court after government failed to resolve the dispute behind the strike.

JOHESU challenged the jurisdiction of the National Industrial court, but its attempt to take the case before the Court of Appeal failed.

The court ruled both government and JOHESU must appoint representatives within 24 hours of its judgement to continue negotiations at its Alternative Dispute Resolution centre.

Agreement reached at the centre will be registered in the court as judgment and binding on both parties, JOHESU said in a statement announcing the suspension of its strike.

It said the court also ruled JOHESU is to “initiate the process of allowing normalcy to return to hospitals within three days.”

But both parties will "maintain status-quo ante bellum while negotiation lasts"–requiring JOHESU to return to work.

At least eight meetings with federal government teams since the start of the strike have held but failed to broker negotiations.

In its statement, JOHESU accused government of being insincere and unserious about negotiations.

“We note with dismay the insincerity and unseriousness exhibited at the negotiation table by the Government negotiating team which led to the breakdown of further negotiations and unnecessarily prolonged the strike action,” said Joy Josiah Biobelemoye, national chairman of JOHESU.

The strike had nearly all health workers apart from doctors leave hospitals.

Groups like the Nigerian Medical Association openly criticised the strike as causing chaos in health care and targeted at doctors.

Biobelemoye said JOHESU’s strike was “neither ill nor politically motivated but in a bid to save the health sector from imminent collapse.”

“JOHESU is not unmindful of the various threats letters and circulars emanating from the Federal Ministry of Health and Managements of hospitals across the country,” he said.

“We however, urge our members to remain peaceful and law abiding in the face of intimidation and report any form of harassment to the National leadership.”