From Priscilla Ediare Ado-Ekiti
Following the continued strike embarked upon by the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU), Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH), Ado-Ekiti chapter, the medical personnel have declared three days fasting and prayers to seek the face of God.
The JOHESU members who disclosed they were being owed several months of salaries, allowances and deductions, said they declared the fasting and prayers to seek God’s intervention in their plights.
The union also condemned the State government for not being sensitive to their demands, saying they could only backdown from the strike, if their outstanding gross salaries and other allowances owed are paid.
The JOHESU Chairman, EKSUTH chapter, Com. Omotola Farotimi, who spoke at the hospital on Tuesday after the prayer session tagged : “O’ Lord Heal Our Land’, stated that the programme started on Monday and would end on Wednesday.
” We are seeking the face of God, because things are not easy for our members. We believe that with God all things are possible. No one can underrate the power of God, that is why we call on Him to heal our land”, she said.
Farotimi alongside JOHESU State Chairman, Com Ajoloko Femi, urged the government to renovate and equip the Dental and Opthamology building and all other departments in the hospital with modern working equipment for workers to operate effectively.
They noted that they had earlier met with the leadership of the Ekiti State House of Assembly to mediate on the prolonged strike, hoping that the issues would be resolved without delay, regretting that no solution has been proffered to the problems.
They called on well meaning Ekiti citizens and Nigerians to reasons with them towards helping to proffer solution to their industrial action.
JOHESU, whose strike is three weeks old, also listed their demands to include “payment of backlog of deductions of 13 months, which includes cooperatives deductions, union special levies and check-up dues, car loans, housing loans and bank loans.
Others are: “unpaid four months’ salaries of June to September 2018, 38 months of unremitted pension funds (2018 to-date), Non-implementation of new minimum wage with consequential adjustment, and unpaid COVID-19 hazard allowance.
JOHESU strike started on April 12, 2021 and there is no hope in sight that it would be suspended soon as the contending forces are still maintaining a hardline posture on the crisis.
