Joint health workers begin seven-day warning strike

The Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) has directed medical and health workers to commence a seven-day warning strike from Thursday.

In a statement by Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives and Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professions which was made available to journalists in Abuja Wednesday, the health workers expressed displeasure that after 92 days ultimatum issued the Federal Government, they were yet to reach an agreement.

The union’s anger was aroused by the failure of series of meetings with committees and sub-committees to look into the various issues presented by JOHESU, as the Federal Government had insisted there was no agreement to review the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS).

It said: “It was observed that despite the series of meetings earlier held with committees and sub-committees set up to look into the various issues presented by JOHESU and agreements reached, to our utmost surprise, the Federal Government asserted that there was no agreement.”

They also bemoaned that other issues upon which previous submissions had been made were equally pushed to the unions to make fresh submission showing lack of seriousness on the part of the government.

Meanwhile, a Lagos human rights lawyer, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, Wednesday took a sweep at the federal government, describing the directive by the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, that all doctors in government hospitals should be sacked, as unfortunate.

Adegboruwa said: “The directive, coming at a time when the government could not pay the salaries and allowances of doctors and other workers, and intimidating them through the termination of their employment is illegal.”

While urging the good people of Nigeria to prevail on President Muhammadu Buhari to call the minister to order to reinstate the doctors, he said in employment matters where same enjoys statutory flavour, the employer cannot determine the employment at will.

According to him, the doctors are not employed at the pleasure of the minister or government. Their employments are protected by statute.

“Furthermore, no notice was issued to the doctors, no queries were issued and no disciplinary procedure was initiated.

“What that means is that the minister cannot sack doctors through the media as if he was a military man operating in a junta. This is only an indication of the body language of dictatorship that other members of the Buhari regime are copying from the President”, he noted.

-Emmanuel Ikechukwu