Bill prohibiting health workers’ strike may be reintroduced –Lawmaker

The House of Representatives member who sponsored a withdrawn bill that sought to stop health workers from embarking on protests, Simon Atigwe, says he may consider reintroducing the bill.

Recall that the House of Representatives had forced Atigwe to withdraw the bill as it failed to scale the second reading stage at the plenary session last week Wednesday. 

The legislation titled, ‘A Bill for an Act to Amend the Trade Disputes Act, Cap. T8, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 to Prohibit Medical Practitioners in the Employment of Federal, State and Local Governments (as Employees in the Essential Service Sector) from Embarking on Strike and to Accelerate Administrative and Judicial Proceedings in the Determination of Trade Disputes Involving Them; and for Related Matters,’ was sponsored by Atigwe, representing Igbo-Eze North/Udenu Federal Constituency in the House of the Representatives.

Before the House of Representatives halted the bill, workers’ unions and health professionals have raised concerns about its inconsistency with the Nigerian law that affords everyone the right to peaceful demonstration.

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors and the Joint Health Sector Union had knocked members of the House of Representatives over plans to use the bill to outlaw strikes in the health sector.

The bodies had described the proposed bill as draconian and an assault on the democratic rights of employees.

However, speaking with Newsmen, Atigwe said that the bill was misconstrued by a lot of people, hinting at its reintroduction.

“Originally, the idea of the bill is to encourage the government to ensure that health workers do not go on strike because of the consequences. 

There should be an administrative procedure and all these things put in place to ensure that they don’t go on strike. Before they go on strike, everything should be done to ensure that whatever issues they raised are addressed,” he said. 

According to the lawmaker, the bill would have been a big task for the government as it actually seeks to hold the government responsible for strike actions in the health sector, especially, when issues raised by the health workers are not addressed. 

“If they eventually (health workers) go on strike, the government will be held liable by the citizens,” Atigwe told our correspondent.

Speaking on the possibility of a comeback for the bill, he said there is a need to sensitise the citizens and particularly stakeholders in the health sector before considering its reintroduction.

Read Also: NAFDAC seizes Aphrodisiacs in Kaduna

“We will need to sensitise our people. We were thinking that when it comes to a public hearing, they would see the details of the bill and make contributions. But they just heard about the ban on health workers’ strikes but didn’t know much about the idea. 

“It is on hold but will be considered for reintroduction after due consultation. If people are comfortable with it, we are bringing it back, if not, I will step it down permanently,” he said.

Atigwe stressed that the bill is to protect the interest of the health professionals and not to spite them. 

He also decried the spate of medical tourism in Nigeria, insisting that the country has enough resources to cater to the needs of the health sector.

“It is a shame for us to be going abroad for treatment. We have the resources. Our medical doctors are the best almost everywhere in the world. What we need to do is to put in place structures that will make them work efficiently.”