Joint Health Sector Unions, JOHESU, comprising the Medical and Health Workers’ Union of Nigeria, Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals, Senior Staff Association of Universities Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes and Associated Institutions and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, has issued a fresh 15-day strike ultimatum to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The notice which is contained in a letter to the Ministers of Health, and that of Labour and Employment was signed by JOHESU National Chairman, Ado Kabiru and National Secretary, Martins Egbanubi. It indicated that the union has directed its members to begin nationwide strike on midnight of November 14, should its demands are not met.
JOHESU said it has issued the notice in line with the provision of Section 41 of the Trade Disputes Act Cap T8, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 as it highlights its demands to include; implementation of Memorandum of Understanding, MoU it signed with the Federal Government on October 29, 2024, to fast-track the payment of adjustment of the Consolidated Health Salary Structure, CONHESS as was done with Consolidated Medical Salary Structure, CONMESS on three (3) occasions since 2014.
JOHESU noted that the trade dispute has become necessary due to the inability of the FG to address this age-long flagship demand in spite of the personal intervention and assurance from President Bola Tinubu, when the National JOHESU executives visited him on June 5, 2023 to facilitate the suspension of ongoing strike of health workers at the time.
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JOHESU said despite Mr. President’s personal assurance and subsequent Memorandum of Understanding, MoU and Resolution signed and reached at various conciliation meetings with Federal Government representatives, its flagship demand has not been actualised.
The health workers revealed that promises on implementation by FG representatives have always been hinged on approval of the Presidential Committee on Salaries, PCS which has not met since August, 2023 when the current Executive Council of the Federation was inaugurated.
JOHESU said several meetings with government have failed and the climax of what it calls the FG insensitivity to address its welfare issues since 2014 was the embarrassment and discriminatory treatment of JOHESU National representatives at a supposed tripartite meeting on Wednesday, October 29 at the Federal Ministry of Finance.
According to JOHESU, it was invited alongside the Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives and the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors, NARD. However, after exercising patience to allow the presiding chairman and Minister of State for Finance, Doris Uzoka-Anite to entertain the challenges of NARD which was on the verge of a strike, she refused all entreaties to allow any representative of JOHESU to make submission which it says is most antithetical to relationship management and rules of engagement in industrial relations.
JOHESU stresses that it has clearly observed that its continued show of understanding to Government and a connectivity of empathy to consumers of healthcare who may suffer when over 85% of healthcare workers in the value chain of the health sector go on strike has never been reciprocated by the Federal Government, which leaves it with no choice than to now take its destiny in its own hands, by resuming the suspended strike action of October 30, 2024 which is about one year old.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
