- JOHESU Threatens Industrial Action On sept. 13
By Gbenga Abulude
Resident doctors in the state-run Nigerian hospitals, on Monday, started an indefinite strike to demand for improved welfare package and adequate facilities.
The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), who embarked on the industrial action, said there were long standing issues since 2014 which have not been resolved.
The President of NARD, Dr Aliyu Sokomba said, We have kicked off the strike today. There will be no exemptions”.
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Sokomba said the group were going on strike indefinitely because of persistent issues government have not met.
The issues include provision of life insurance, a pay rise, payment of salary arrears, as well as provision of adequate facilities for doctors.
“We have arrears of 2014, 2015, 2016, salary shortfalls that were supposed to have been paid over six years ago, still pending. These are the issues we have and they appear not to have been addressed up till this day,” he said.
Sokomba noted that Doctors handling Covid-19 cases were part of the strike.
He added that the industrial action would only be called off when the union’s demands were met.
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NARD represents about 40 per cent of doctors in Nigeria.
In a related development, Health Workers under the aegis, Joint Health Sector Unions and Assembly of Health Care Professionals, (JOHESU) have also threatened to embark on strike next week Monday, September 13, if their demands were not met.
JOHESU accused the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige of compronise in the negotiations between them and government.
The group called for the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mr Festus Keyamo, SAN, to replace Ngige, in the negotiations.
Comrade Bio Joy Josiah, National Chairman of JOHESU, at a press conference in Abuja, said the commitment of the union to resolve issues through dialogue had been taken for granted.
He stressed the government looks at the health workers as people who cannot bear hunger, adding that should the negotiations fail, the strike for September 13, would paralyse the nation’s health facilities.
