Health workers under the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) and Assembly of Healthcare Professionals have issued the federal government a 15-day ultimatum to implement demands.
JOHESU workers include the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria, the Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals, and the Senior Staff Association of Universities.
Others are the teaching hospitals, Research Institutions and Associated Institutions, and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions.
Kabir Minjibir, JOHESU’s national president, issued the ultimatum in a memo he jointly signed with Martin Engbanubi, the association’s secretary.
“This 15-day ultimatum is necessitated by the non-response of the federal government to the plight of our members, despite our benevolence,” he said.
The memo was addressed to the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Ali Pate, on Thursday in Abuja.
Mr Minjibir said the union would embark on a nationwide strike in the next 15 days should the federal government fail to resolve its pending welfare issues.
He said the union was also informing the minister that its members
would embark on a strike, effective midnight on Friday, October 25.
” All our members in the federal health institutions shall embark on seven days strike action.
“Sir, you will agree with us that JOHESU has always exhibited maturity, selflessness, and patriotism.
“This is even in the face of extreme provocations and the government’s long delay in meeting the demands of workers under JOHESU, and we think that our maturity and patriotism have been taken for granted,” he said,
He recalled that some lingering issues had led the unions to embark on a nationwide strike from May 19 to June 6, 2023, but was suspended consequent upon the intervention of President Bola Tinubu.
“The issues listed by the unions include the adjustment of the Consolidated Health Salary Structure as was done with the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure since January 2, 2014.
“There is also the implementation of a consultant cadre for pharmacists in Federal Health Institutions, the upward review in the retirement age from 60-65 years for health workers and 70 years for consultants,” he said.
He said payment of JOHESU members in professional regulatory councils, payment of arrears of CONHESS review, and the tax waiver on healthcare workers’ allowances were also part of the lingering demands.
“We also demand the immediate payment of COVID-19 inducement hazard allowances to omitted health workers and immediate suspension of planned establishment and activities of the National Health Facility Regulatory Agency.
“There is also a demand for the withdrawal of the Drug Revolving Fund Standard Operating Procedures,” he said.
Mr Minjibir said the unions demanded the immediate implementation of CONHESS adjustment and immediate payment of 25 per cent CONHESS review arrears.
He also called for the immediate payment of nine months of outstanding salaries to staff of regulatory agencies and the immediate restoration of funding to the Environmental Health Regulatory Council.
(NAN)
