Health Workers Suspend Strike For 21 Days After Meeting Tinubu

Health workers under the auspices Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) and Associated Health Professionals Association ( AHPA), have suspended their strike action for 21 days after meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

National Vice President of JOHESI, Obinna Ogbonna who confirmed the development to newsmen on Monday, noted that good progress was made during their engagement with the president.

He said the health workers “called a meeting shortly after meeting with the president and decided to call off the strike and gave a 21-day timeline to the government.”

“We met with Mr President at the villa earlier today, and he pleaded with the striking health workers to give him the benefit of the doubt that he will resolve the matters amicably to our own benefit and positive results.

“The congress considered his plea and also said we should give a 21-day timeline to assess progress and commitment of state actors in resolving the issues.”

The unions’ demands include immediate approval and implementation of the Technical Committee Report on CONHESS adjustment by the federal government; immediate payment of the omission and shortfall in the COVID-19 hazard/inducement allowances of affected health workers in the federal health institutions and recognition of health workers in non-core hospital facilities in the payment of new hazard allowances and payment and inculcation of peculiar allowances to health workers under the JOHESU/AHPA.

Others are immediate and unconditional implementation of the Pharmacist Consultant cadre; unconditional payment of all withheld salaries of the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri,Jos University Teaching Hospital,JUTH,Lagos University Teaching Hospital,LUTH and April and May,2018 salaries of members at National Obstetric, Fistula centre,NOFIC,Azare, Bauchi State and speedy implementation of the increase in retirement age from 60 to 65 years and 70 years for consultants in the health professions.