By Usman Shu’aibu
The leadership of the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) and Assembly of Healthcare Professionals has concluded plans to embark on indefinite strike today, November 12, to press for their demands from the federal government.
The chairman of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Barr. Nana Takai, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen during the 29th Annual National Scientific Conference of the association on Monday in Abuja.
He said that the unions resolved to embark on the strike to enable the federal government to pay the arrears of those heath workers who had been promoted to the Consolidated Health Salary structure (CONHESS) of Grade level-10.
He further said that the unions deemed it necessary to embark on the strike due to non-promotion of members from the salary of CONHESS from the Grades level-14 to 15 by the government, as according to him, the directors had stayed for 15 years on the same salary level without promotion in most federal hospitals.
He accused the federal government of adjusting the salaries of the medical doctors without considering the other workers in the health sector.
Also, in a communiqué which was made available to newsmen at the conference and signed by the chairman of JOHESU, Dr. Ayuba P. Wabba as well as its Secretary, Comrade Yusuf Badmus respectively, called on the federal government to pay the arrears of Specialists allowance to the qualified hospital-based professionals with effect from January 1, 2010 in line with the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) ruling.
The communiqué urged the federal government to release the harmonized Scheme of Service for nurses as well as midwives, in line with the NICN ruling.
The communiqué also pleaded with the government to address the lopsidedness in the membership of Board of Management of Tertiary Hospitals among other pending issues affecting the unions.
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