Healthcare workers in public hospitals in Abuja, under the aegis of the Joint Health Sector Unions and Assembly of Healthcare Professionals, observed partial compliance with their leadership’s directive to embark on a seven-day warning strike, The Courage.
JOHESU is made up of the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria, the Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals, the Senior Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutions, and Associated Institutions, and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions.
On October 9, JOHESU notified the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, of resuming its suspended strike on October 25, if its demands were not met.
The strike which commenced from midnight of Friday, October 25, 2024, was to press home their demands, which include, the adjustment of the Consolidated Health Salary Structure as was done with the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure since January 2, 2014; the implementation of a consultant cadre for pharmacists in Federal Health Institutions; the upward review in the retirement age from 60 to 65 years for health workers and 70 years for consultants, and the payment of JOHESU members in professional regulatory councils.
Others are the payment of arrears of CONHESS review, the tax waiver on healthcare workers’ allowances, the immediate payment of COVID-19 inducement hazard allowances to omitted health workers, the immediate suspension of planned establishment and activities of National Health Facility Regulatory Agency, and the withdrawal of the Drug Revolving Fund Standard Operating Procedures.
The Chairman of the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria at the FMC Abuja branch, Aaron Okonofua confirmed that there was only partial compliance with the strike due to the hospital management not being formally notified over the weekend.
“There is partial compliance for now because you can see that I am just signing the letter of commencement of the seven-day strike to the management.
“I was supposed to do it last Friday and my secretary was not around for me to get a letterhead to inform the management officially. But, we promise that we will do our best to ensure that we comply from this afternoon,” Okonofua stated.
Also, at the National Hospital, Abuja, patients were also being seen, though uncertainty remained about whether workers would continue attending to them tomorrow (Tuesday).
A patient who identified herself as Martha Ugwu said, “They’re attending to us, and it’s a good thing, but I’m not sure they will attend to patients tomorrow from the look of things.”
A medical laboratory scientist at the hospital who wished to remain anonymous because he was not authorised to comment, attributed the partial compliance to the timing of the strike announcement.
He said, “The strike was declared over the weekend, and not many people are aware and the management of the hospital needs to be properly informed.
“But from tomorrow (Tuesday), you will see that we will not be here. This is like the first day of the strike for us, but from tomorrow you will notice full compliance, even some of my colleagues will leave by noon.”
Meanwhile, the National Secretary of JOHESU, Martin Egbanubi said that while the Federal Government has informally reached out to the unions, no official communication has occurred yet.
“The Federal Government has reached out to us informally for an engagement, but nothing has been made official yet. “We need a formal letter or invitation if they want to engage us for a meeting,” he said.
