JOHESU Insist On Strike As Conciliation Meeting Fails

The Joint Health Sector Unions, (JOHESU) has reaffirmed its stand to embark on industrial action if its demands are not met.

The National Chairman, JOHESU, Dr Biobelomoye Josiah, spoke at the conciliation meeting between the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, representatives of Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDA’s) and leaders of the association in Abuja on Thursday.

The conciliation meeting was aimed at mediating on disputed issues between the association and government.

The union had earlier announced its decision to embark on an indefinite strike starting September 14.

The strike was in response to alleged federal government breach of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), made with the union.

The union is demanding an upward review of COVID-19 special inducement and hazard allowances, the payment of all withheld salaries, adjustment of Consolidated Medical Salary Structure since 2014, the implementation of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria consent judgement and a revamp of the structural and infrastructural decay in the health sector.

The chairman noted that it was unfair on the union that the FG would meet six out of eight demands made by resident doctors nationwide and has not met any of its demands.

But the minister described the threat of an industrial action by the union as distasteful, especially coming during a global pandemic.

Ngige said the federal government was not insensitive to their plights, and it is doing all it can to meet the demands of the union with the available resources.

“The threat to go on strike is not the answer and the government has done a lot with the little resources available.

“You should put the interest of the patients above every other interest that matters to you.

“We have powers to sanction unions that are off the line. We have the powers of the president and the ministry of labour to sanction union when your existence is no longer beneficial to essential demands.”

He noted that it is unacceptable to blackmail the government despite all obvious efforts to actualise the demands of the union.

“The president has bent over backwards to disburse N20bn and approved another N9bn, especially for the month of June and including those that have been skipped yet you said the government hasn’t done enough.

“It is uncharitable and we need to give honour to whom honour is due. The government has done enough and I want you to reciprocate…,” Ngige said.

On his part, the Minister of State, Olurunimbe Mamora
appealed to the union to shelve the move to embark on industrial action owing to the pandemic.

“Let’s shelve any strike situation and let us dialogue with sincerity of purpose so that we can move forward.

“Let us have the right approach in the best interest of our people. Patients have the right as well as health workers. In fighting the government, we all are in turn involved,” Mamora said.