Health Workers Give Nigerian Govt Strike Notice

Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) and Assembly of Healthcare Professional Associations (AHPA) have vowed to embark on a nationwide strike if the federal government failed to address their grievances.

National Chairman, JOHESU, Biobelemoye Joy Josiah and National Secretary, JOHESU, Ekpebor Florence, yesterday said the decision was taken after a consultative meeting in Abuja.

They said it was resolved that the federal government should “urgently revisit the constitution of the membership of the boards of all the Federal Health Institutions (FHIs) as the list of members published in December 2017 seriously violates the Teaching Hospital Act which provides that a representative of health providers must be appointed on all the boards.”

The JOHESU/AHPA noted that the “government did not appoint members of JOHESU/AHPA on the boards despite the fact that a formal list was sent on request, thereby, breaching one of the terms of its September 30, 2017 Terms of Settlement to redress the perennial lopsided composition of the boards of the FHIs.”

The JOHESU/AHPA lamented the delay tactics of the federal government in approving the adjustment of CONHESS scale as was done for CONMESS since January 2014 and also replicated with yet another approval for the same CONMESS in September, 2017 for the medical doctors.

They disclosed that executives will meet again by the end of this month to decide on next action.

JOHESU/AHPA appealed to its members for calm while the leadership appraises and monitor the resolve of the federal government to fully comply with the Terms of Settlement with JOHESU on September 30, 2017.