The health workers, under the auspices of the Joint Health Sector Union, has said the option of going on strike could not be ruled out if the Federal Government fails to meet its pending demands.
A senior executive member and spokesman for JOHESU, Olumide Akintayo, has accused the Federal Government of trying to plunge the country into fresh health crises.
The union, in September 2020, had gone on a strike which was later suspended.
Akintayo stated, “There are lots of outstanding issues with the government. We have a pending five-point agenda. We are dealing with the non-adjustment of the CONHESS salary structure, implementation of several court judgments. Some members are also being owed salaries and have not been paid hazard allowances.
Strike is an option certainly; we are responsible and we are sensitive to the yearnings of Nigerians, but strike is an option.”
Recall NARD, on August 2 commenced a nationwide strike to protest what it described as maltreatment of its members.
On its part, NANNM has warned the Federal Government against pushing it to the wall while satisfying the demands of NARD.
The NANNM said it was not contemplating embarking on any strike but urged the government to consider its members while struggling to satisfy striking members of NARD.
The president of NANNM, Michael Nnatchi, said the issue of hazard allowances had been politicized, claiming that the nurses deserved the highest pay in the health sector because of the highest exposure to hazards.
The President of NARD, Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi, have stated that every medical practitioner, including nurses, deserved a better way.
He noted, “When you go to the hospital, you don’t ask to see nurses because they are always there. Everyone deserves better pay. They are more valued abroad. This is an issue of mutual respect. We all deserve better pay but nurses are more valued abroad.”
Meanwhile, efforts made so far to end the NARD strike, including the intervention of the House of Representatives Committee on Health, have not yielded results.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, has since dragged the association before the Industrial Court based on what he described as failure of the two parties, the Federal Government and NARD, to reach settlements.
The President of NARD on Sunday confirmed to correspondents that the association had met with its lawyers and will be honouring the court notice on Monday
Okhuaihesuyi further stated “The Federal Government has at no point honoured our demands; the health sector is in shambles.
We have told our members not to be scared. We are going to court and until our demands are met, whatever decision is taken in court holds no water.”
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