FG denies agreements with JOHESU, prompts fresh strike
Health workers under the auspices of Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) started a seven-day warning strike from Wednesday after federal government negotiators denied all previous agreements reached with the workers. Federal government called for a meeting with JOHESU at the conference room of the labour and employment minister on Monday, got it shifted to Tuesday […]
Health workers under the auspices of Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) started a seven-day warning strike from Wednesday after federal government negotiators denied all previous agreements reached with the workers.
Federal government called for a meeting with JOHESU at the conference room of the labour and employment minister on Monday, got it shifted to Tuesday and then requested JOHESU negotiators to open fresh submissions of previously negotiated points, the unions said in a statement.
Josiah Biobelemoye, president of Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria, a JOHESU member, said: “Despite the series of meetings earlier held with committees and sub-committees set up to look unto the various issues presented by JOHESU and agreements reached, to our utmost surprise the Federal Government asserted that there was no agreement on the issues upon which erstwhile Secretary to the Federal Government set up a sub-committee, the report of which was accepted by the Federal Government and another sub-committee set up to work out the financial implication to be submitted to the Federal Government for approval.”
“Other issues upon which previous submissions had been made were equally pushed to the unions to make fresh submission, showing lack of seriousness on the part of the Federal Government,” Biobelemoye added.
The meeting came after repeated ultimatums totalling 92 days since February last year.
JOHESU is umbrella body for MHWUN, National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), National Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP), Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), Assembly of Healthcare Professionals (AHPA).
The seven-day strike affects nurses, pharmacists and categories of health workers apart from doctors will stay away from work.
JOHESU said sacking health workers as the federal health ministry did with resident doctors would be “laughable” as it had taken necessary steps to give notice of strike.
“We have given notice to government up to 92 days, government came up yesterday to tell us something they should have told us long time ago, trying to deny what happened that there wasn’t an agreement to adjust CONHESS,” said Biobelemoye.
“The question is: if there wasn’t, was the SGF at that time, his Excellency Pius Anyim Pius, lying to us? If that wasn’t, on what basis did they make the calculation for financial implications? So I don’t think sack is the issue, is not that easy as that. If we are sacked wrongly as people that are established in employment, we will take the matter as it is.”