Health workers in various hospitals and health centre across Nigeria resumed work on Monday following the suspended the seven-day warning strike embarked upon by the Joint Health Sector Unions and Assembly of Healthcare Professionals (JOHESU) suspends strike
JOHESU’s national chairman, Biobelemoye Josiah said the union decided to suspend the strike, not because its demands have been resolved by the government but to “sustain” the running of Nigeria’s public health systems. He said: “However, since the federal government has continued to exhibit high level of bias/discrimination by refusing to address the demands of our members as presented by JOHESU within the seven days of the warning strike as was done to other bodies in the health sector, the next line of action would be decided in due course by the expanded NEC.
“It is pertinent to also inform the general public that rather than call JOHESU for dialogue to resolve the trade dispute, the federal government has resorted to intimidation and blackmail of JOHESU leaders using all forms of instruments and faceless groups.
“Nigerians should bear us witness that JOHESU has shown high patriotism by demanding that public health systems in the country is sustained and adequately financed for effective and efficient service delivery.”
JOHESU, the group of other health workers except for doctors, had embarked on a seven-day warning strike on September 14 following the failure of the government to meet its demands. These include an upward review of COVID-19 special inducement and hazard allowances; the payment of all withheld salaries; adjustment of Consolidated Medical Salary Structure since 2014, among other things.
The one-week industrial action partially affected tertiary institutions across the country that were struggling to keep up with the containment of the COVID-19 virus as well as cater to other patients in critical conditions.