JOHESU Threatens Strike, Gives FG 15-Day Ultimatum
The Joint Health Sector Unions, (JOHESU) and the Assembly of Healthcare Professional Associations (AHPA) have issued a fifteen-day ultimatum to the Federal Government, to resolve its pending welfare issues or its members will embark on an industrial action.
The unions slated October 25 to begin their suspended strike if FG failed to meet their demands.
This was disclosed in a memo from the unions to the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Pate dated October 9, titled, “Notice of 15 days ultimatum and resumption of suspended strike action.”
JOHESU is made up of the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria, the Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals, the Senior Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutions, and Associated Institutions, and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions.
Recall that the union had issues that led to a strike that took place from May 19 to June 6, 2023, but was suspended following the intervention of President Bola Tinubu.
The memo signed by the National Chairman of JOHESU, Kabiru Minjibir, and its National Secretary, Martin Egbanubi, highlighted the lingering unresolved issues.
The issues as listed by the unions are the adjustment of the Consolidated Health Salary Structure as was done with the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure since January 2, 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, the payment of JOHESU members in professional regulatory councils.
However, the payment of arrears of CONHESS review, the tax waiver on healthcare workers’ allowances, the immediate payment of COVID-19 inducement hazard allowances to omitted health workers, the immediate suspension of planned establishment and activities of National Health Facility Regulatory Agency, and the withdrawal of the Drug Revolving Fund Standard Operating Procedures were also listed.
Emphatically, the union demand the immediate implementation of CONHESS adjustment, immediate payment of 25 per cent CONHESS review arrears, immediate payment of nine months (January – September 2024) salary to staff of Regulatory Agencies, and immediate restoration of funding to Environmental Health Regulatory Council, immediate reconstitution of Boards/Governing Councils of FHIs, the commencement of the process to upwardly review retirement age of health workers through Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to the Federal Executive Council, and inclusively, other demands.
Stated in the memo is that the 15-day ultimatum will be necessitated by the non-response of the Federal Government to the plight of the union members, irrespective of their kindness.
JOHESU Threatens Strike, Gives FG 15-Day Ultimatum is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
