The Assembly of Health Care Professional Association and the Joint Health Sector Unions have instructed their members to go on an indefinite strike.
This was stated at a news conference on Thursday in Abuja by Dr. Obinna Ogbonna, National Vice President of JOHESU.
The Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria, the Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals, the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, the Senior Staff Association of Universities’ Teaching Hospitals Research Institutes and Associated Institutions, and AHPA are all part of the umbrella organization known as JOHESU.
The federal health institutions’ immediate payment of the omission and shortfall in the COVID-19 hazard/inducement allowances for affected health workers as well as recognition of health workers in non-core hospital facilities in the payment of new hazard allowance. Additionally, they demand that peculiar allowances under the aforementioned law be paid to affected health workers.
The other demands include the immediate and unconditional implementation of the pharmacist consultant cadre, the unconditional payment of all unpaid salaries owed to the Federal Medical Centre in Owerri, the Jos University Teaching Hospital, the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, and the members of NOFIC in Azare for the months of April and May 2018, as well as the prompt implementation of raising the retirement age for consultants in the health professions from 60 to 65 and 70 respectively.
In a letter dated May 9, 2023, the leadership of JOHESU gave the federal government a 15-day deadline over what they claimed were the government’s inconsistencies in the current negotiations to change the Consolidated Health Salary Structure for health workers on their platforms.
The 15-day deadline began on May 10, 2023, and it will end on May 24, 2023, at midnight.
Dr Obinna said, “Consequent upon the nonchalant, biased and lackadaisical attitude of the Federal Ministry of Health against JOHESU members and the resolution of the expanded National Executive Council meeting of the JOHESU held on Monday, May 8, 2023, our members in Federal Health Institutions nationwide are hereby directed to withdraw their services indefinitely commencing from 00:00 hour on Thursday, May 25, 2023.
“It becomes imperative to inform you that since the Federal Government is yet to meet these demands, our members have been directed by the JOHESU National Executive Council to proceed on an indefinite strike action upon expiration of the ultimatum by midnight of May 25, 2023.”
But he added that the union was dedicated to working with the government and other stakeholders to make the required improvements to the healthcare system in the public good.
When Dr. Osagie Ehanire, the minister of health, was reached, he asked for a text message on the subject to be forwarded to him.
As of the time this complaint was filed, he has not replied to the text message that was sent to him.
