JUTH outsourced staff begin strike over 17 months unpaid salaries

Outsourced cleaners, gardeners and security guards at the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) in Lamingo have embarked on an indefinite strike to protest 17 months of unpaid salaries going back to 2016 up until this year. The workers have been protesting at the hospital gate since last week Friday and they told Daily Trust that […]

Outsourced cleaners, gardeners and security guards at the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) in Lamingo have embarked on an indefinite strike to protest 17 months of unpaid salaries going back to 2016 up until this year.

The workers have been protesting at the hospital gate since last week Friday and they told Daily Trust that they were earlier owed 18 months salary before the hospital management settled one month on Wednesday in an effort to pacify them to return to work.

Spokesperson of the striking workers, David Kudu, said the workers were under eight outsourced companies including Master and General Company, Crystal Global, Kings Guard Security, Crowns Guard Security, Rinfore Company, Confer Company, Strike Force Security and Flocare Company.

Kudu said all outsourced cleaners, gardners and security guards working at JUTH’s old and new premises as well as JUTH’s Comprehensive Health Centres at Zamko in Langtang and Gindiri in Mangu local government areas had joined the strike.

“Early this year, we embarked on a strike action on non payment of our salaries but they convinced us to go back to work on the promise that we would be paid, but they did not pay us. The contractors told us that the problems is from JUTH management while JUTH management says the problem is from the Federal Government through the Ministry of Finance,” he said.

Wurim Dafon, one of the protesters said, “Some of us have been chased out of our homes by landlords because we could not pay our rents, we spent Christmas without getting paid while our children have been kicked out of school. Is it fair that we work for month without getting paid? President Muhammadu Buhari is for the masses and I’m not sure he would allow this injustice to continue.”

A Daily Trust correspondent visiting the premises observed the grounds littered and the garbage bins filled to the brim.

The corridors and stair cases of the hospital were very dusty and care givers of patients on admission now clean spaces occupied by their hospitalized relatives.

The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of JUTH, Prof. Edmund Banwat however said the non payment of the salaries was a national issue that cuts across all the teaching hospitals and federal medical centres.

Banwat explained that a verification exercise had taken place about three months ago and assured that soon enough, the Federal government would release the money to JUTH and the hospital will in turn pay the outsourcing companies.

“We are appealing to them to be patient and we understand their plight which was why we sourced for money to pay them one month during the festive season,” he said.