Health workers under the auspices of the Joint Health Sectors Union (JOHESU) and the Assembly of Healthcare Professional Associations (AHPA) have declared a seven-day nationwide warning strike commencing from midnight of Friday, October 25, 2024.
The National President of JOHESU, Kabiru Minjibir, disclosed this while addressing newsmen at the end of the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja on Friday.
Minjibir said the health workers were yet to get any positive response from the federal government on some of the critical issues raised despite repeated assurances during meetings with the relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
Minjibir said: “If at the end of the seven days warning strike, the federal government fails to meet our demands, JOHESU have no other option than to embark on an indefinite strike action.
“Nigerians should note that this action would have been avoided if the federal government had, within the window of the 15-day notice of strike or ultimatum, responded by utilising all options available in the relevant provisions of the Trade Disputes Act Cap. T8 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 to apprehend this dispute of right.
“JOHESU is always committed to the use of the instrumentality of social dialogue to resolve matters affecting the welfare and working conditions of members.
Health workers threaten strike, issue 15-day ultimatum to FG
“We shall, therefore, keep all our channels of communication open during this period.”
It would be recalled that the health workers issued a 15-day ultimatum to the federal government on October 10, 2024, to address the issues or risk a total shutdown of operations in hospitals nationwide.
The health workers were demanding the immediate implementation of CONHESS adjustment, immediate payment of 25 per cent CONHESS Review arrears (June – December 2023), and Immediate payment of nine months (Jan – September 2024) salary to workers of regulatory agencies.
Other demands are the immediate restoration of funding to the Environmental Health Regulatory Council and the immediate reconstitution of Boards/Governing Councils of Federal Health Institutions.
They are also demanding the commencement of the process of upward review of retirement age of health workers through the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to the Federal Executive Council.
Other issues under contention included tax waiver on healthcare workers’ allowances and the immediate payment of COVID-19 inducement hazard allowances to omitted health workers, among others.
Members of JOHESU affiliate unions are from the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) and the Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP).
Others include the Senior Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes and Associated Institutions (SSAUTHRIAI) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU).
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