Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Health workers in the FCT have threatened to proceed on industrial action as from June 1, over unpaid salaries, allowances, and other entitlements by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).
The workers comprising medical specialists/consultants, doctors in the 14 district hospitals and those in department of public health and primary healthcare development board, said the only thing that would stop the action is if the FCTA attend to their needs as quickly as possible.
The health workers in a statement jointly signed by their representatives, said they have overstretched their patience limit with the FCT Administration and are left with the only option of a strike to drive home their message.
The workers said they had repeatedly met with FCTA officials, and promises were made to resolve the issues, particularly as it concerns payment of outstanding salaries and other entitlements of health workers, but lamented that no progress had been made in that regard.
The workers disagreed with the position of FCTA that the challenges in the management of Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) was responsible for the crisis.
“IPPIS payment platform commenced services since 2007 and we expect that all these teething problems should have been corrected by now. But it’s obvious that the platform is even worse with FCTA in comparison with other MDAs.
“Since the migration of FCTA into IPPIS platform, it has been a nightmare for our members. It has been non-payment of salaries, short payment of salaries, discrepancies in tax deductions, outrageous increase in tax deduction, late payment of salaries and non-remittance of third-party deductions as well as association/union dues and capitations, cooperative deductions and the likes.
“We made these issues known to management prior to the migration IPPIS and four months since the migration it has not been resolved, hence, the decision to withdraw our services by June 1, if the needful is not done,” the union said.
They apealed to members to remain calm and supportive, assuring them that all the needful would be done as soon as possible.