By Gbenga Abulude ( Politics and General desk)
After a 15-day strike notice given to the Health Minister, Dr Osagie Ehanire, over the failure by the federal government to address their demands, the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU), is set to embark on a nationwide strike from Monday, September 14.
JOHESU is the umbrella body for health workers in Nigeria. The body in a statement on Sunday, ordered its members to withdraw their services from midnight of Sunday, September 13, 2020.
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Recall that the health workers, on August 26, had issued a strike notice to the Federal Government to press home their demands.
In a letter addressed to the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, JOHESU requested for the payment of all withheld salaries of their members, including the withheld April and May 2018 salaries, as well as a review of the Covid-19 special inducement and hazard allowance.
Other demands of the union are the adjustment of Consolidated Health Salary Structure, implementation of National Industrial Court of Nigeria consent judgment and other court judgments and an improvement in the structural and infrastructural decay in the health sector.
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The letter, dated August 26, was jointly signed by the President and Secretary of Medical and Health Workers’ Union of Nigeria, Messrs Josiah and Matthew Ajurotu respectively, the President of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses And Midwives, Mr Rauf Adeniji and Alhaji A.A Shettima, as well as the leadership of three other health unions.
The leadership of JOHESU, on Friday had a meeting with the Federal Government on the planned strike. The body, after the meeting, requested to consult its members on the agreements reached with the FG and report back to the Ministry of Labour by Saturday, September 12.
But FG could not meet its demands. In response, JOHESU said it has no option than to embark on the industrial action as planned.
National President of JOHESU, Comrade Biobelemoye Josiah, confirming the commencement of the nationwide strike, said leaders of various health unions in the sector unanimously reached the decision at the end of their expanded National Executive Council.
The statement titled ‘Notice of 15-day ultimatum/outcome of JOHESU expanded NEC meeting’, reads:
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“In the light of the above, the meeting of our expanded NEC was held Saturday 12 September, 2020. And at the end of the meeting, which was held both physically and virtually, it was unanimously agreed that since nothing concrete was achieved at the said meeting with the Federal Government, that the strike notice is still germane and alive.
“Therefore, the 15-day ultimatum still subsists and with effect from midnight of Sunday, 13th September, 2020 our members shall withdraw their services due to Federal Government’s inability to meet their demands”.
