Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Joint Health Workers Union (JOHESU) has written to the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, informing him of possible industrial action that would further cripple medical services at public health care facilities across Nigeria.
The Union leaders told the Minister, in the letter, that they would no longer contain the restiveness of their members, thus won’t guarantee industrial peace and harmony in the hospitals.
Few days ago, medical doctors under the umbrella of the Association of Resident Doctors of Nigeria (NARD) withdrew their services from the hospitals over unpaid salaries, entitlements and alleged unfair labour treatment from government.
JOHESU leaders said they thought they could hold their members till the end of the COVID-19 pandemic but that has become impossible as government has displayed high sense of disregard for their members as against the attention being given to medical doctors.
JOHESU said that its members are increasingly unhappy that government has continued to regard them as second class people in the hospital setting, and always treat matter that concerns them with levity.
With reference to the N4 billion that was recently released by the Federal Government for the settlement of the claims of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), JOHESU asked the Federal Government to replicate same gesture to them.
In different letters written to the Minister of Health, JOHESU President, highlighted the issue of COVID-19 inducement and harzard allowances which the Ministry tempered with the agreement reached in June 8 meeting with all parties.
The letters which were signed by JOHESU President and General Secretary, Josiah Biobelemoye and Matthew Ajorutu, respectively, reminded the Minister that it was agreed that the payment of existing harzard allowance of N5, 000 being paid across to all health workers be shelved.
“In its place, a special COVID-19 inducement and harzard allowances of 50 percent of consolidated basic salary be paid to all health workers in all health care facilities to last for the first three months in first instance,” it said.
It also referred the Minister to several written and unwritten agreements reached at the meeting, particularly harzard allowance, internships for health workers and several other ones, and appealed that the agreements be implemented to avoid possible break down of industrial peace and harmony in the hospitals.
