Nurses, health workers begin seven-day warning strike

The Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) has commenced a seven-day warning strike at the expiration of the 14 days ultimatum given to the Federal Government to meet its demands.

A communique issued by the union yesterday after its meeting with the Federal Government, announced the decision.

This comes as the government holds the break on its decision to sack the 14,000 striking resident doctors.

The JOHESU statement is signed by Mr Biobelemoye Josiah, its President, who is also leader of Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) and Mr Abdurafiu Adeniyi, National President, National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNMW).

The statement noted that the union and the Federal Government were unable to reach a compromise at the meeting held on Tuesday in Abuja.

Some of the demands of the union include issuance of the implementation of circular on salary adjustment done for the medical doctors and implementation of all agreements of May 10, 2012, by past administration and issuance of circular for the implementation of specialist allowance for members in line with the 2009 agreement.

“Following repeated ultimatum totalling 92 days issued to the Federal Government by JOHESU, a meeting was called on Monday, June 20th, with a view to resolving the issues in dispute.

“However, the Federal Government was not ready for the meeting and therefore pleaded that meeting be shifted to Tuesday 21st June.

“At the meeting it was observed that despite the series of meetings earlier held with the committees and subcommittees set up to look into the various issues nothing was done by the government.

“To our outmost surprise the Federal Government asserted that there was no agreement on the issues upon which the erstwhile Secretary to the Federal Government set up a sub-committee.

“We therefore directed all our members in Federal Tertiary institutions to proceed on a seven-day warning strike.

“We appeal to the general public to bear with us and impress it on the Federal Government to meet the demands of the unions to prevent the warning strike from becoming a full blown indefinite strike,’’ it said

Minister of Health Prof Folorunsho Adewole, announced the suspension of action on the sack at a mediatory meeting initiated by House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara on Tuesday night.

The meeting was attended by Prof Adewole, the Minister of Labour represented by the Permanent Secretary, Salaries and Wages Commission, Chairman of Committee of Chief Medical Directors of Federal Tertiary Health Institutions,  Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Association of Consultants and Leaders of Resident Doctors.

The meeting that lasted for five hours resolved that:

“Ministry of Health to come up with list of those entitle to skipping and the amount and when they will pay them in one week. Forty two (42) institutions that have not been implementing skipping should be asked to commence implementation immediately.

“Committee of CMDs to meet in one week and implement skipping by June and any CMD that is unable to pay should appear at the next meeting on July 14. The judgment of the Industrial Court must be executed.

“That by First week of July guidelines on Residency Training will be made available.

“Entry point for House Officers should be from Commess 9 step 4. Or 1 step 1. It should be implemented immediately by the Chief Medical Directors.

“They should also start implementing pensions immediately

“ Resident Doctors Association to make available records of all those sacked unfaily to the ministry of Health. Minister of Health should issue circular to CMDs to review the issue of those sacked unfairly without recourse to the earlier circular detailing the template to be followed. Circular to be send out onWednesday June 22nd 2016 by the Minister to all health institutions and Federal Medical Centres running the Residency programme.

“Issue of FMC Owerri be revisited. Meeting appealed to Minister to take a second look at it since doctors did not declare strike abinitio

“Doctors should be migrated to the platform with immediate effect.

Speaker to meet with Minister of Finance on the issue of IPPIS for all doctors.

“The Speaker should appeal to governors to pay resident doctors.

“The Minister of Health said: “We will do everything humanly possible to implement all the decisions arrived at in this meeting including the fact the circular sacking Resident doctors be ignored by all the parties concerned.”

“Resident doctors leaders at the meeting agreed to appeal to their members to suspend the strike until the next meeting of July 14, 2016”.

Meeting to reconvene in three weeks and review progress made on implementation of agreements reached in the meeting on July 14 2016.