FG warns on consequences of incessant industrial actions

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Clement Illoh has expressed concern on the prevalence of strike actions within the health sector  which have the potential of truncating the attainment of our national goals and aspirations. He made this assertion in Abuja at the formal presentation of the report of the fact-finding […]

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Clement Illoh has expressed concern on the prevalence of strike actions within the health sector  which have the potential of truncating the attainment of our national goals and aspirations.
He made this assertion in Abuja at the formal presentation of the report of the fact-finding committee into the industrial crisis that paralysed activities at the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri for the substantial part of 2014 and middle of 2015.
Dr. Illoh stressed that if various actors in the industrial disputes could  embrace social dialogue in resolving their differences, the developmental agenda of government would be realized.
He added that all management and union officials should see social dialogue as an indispensable tool in the resolution of disputes.
He said, “Resort to strikes and disruption of work processes remains inimical to the overall development of the country and more importantly as in the case of Federal Medical Centre Owerri (FMCO) jeopardize the lives of Nigerians who need the services of the Centre in order to stay alive’’.
He explained that the committee was set up in response to a letter from the Presidency by the three Joint-House Unions of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP), Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) and the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANMM).
Dr. Illoh explained that what led to the industrial action was the alleged introduction of Public Private Partnership (PPP) by the Medical Director of the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri Dr.(Mrs.)Angela Uwakwem and allegations of gross financial misconduct and highhandedness against her.
He said that towards the resolution of the industrial crisis, the Ministry of Labour and Productivity in performing its statutory conciliatory role, set up a fact-finding committee to resolve the crisis at the Medical Centre, Owerri adding that the committee made far reaching recommendations that could end the industrial crisis.
He assured that the ministry, as part of its  statutory duties, will monitor the implementation of the report of the recommendations as well as set up a tripartite monitoring committee that will monitor the progress.
In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Mr. Linus Awute noted that the report of the fact-finding committee is the best thing that has happened to the health sector.
In his words “We are going to do the needful to make sure that actions are taken based on the recommendations of the report that we are going to do believing that we are doing so in the best  interest of the nation’’.
While calling on care givers to justify the salaries they earn, he condemned the incessant strikes embark by health workers which he described as detrimental to the progress of the nation.
Also speaking, the chairman of the committee, Mr. Nyamali John Audu while appealing to the Federal Ministry of Health to start the implementation of the recommendations of the committee to avoid further disruption of the activities at the Medical Centre, warned that unionism is not a license to impunity. He added  that there are statutory provisions in the extant Labour Law that guides the relationship between unions and management on how to manage and resolve industrial disputes.