Upgrading Saga: DSS Invites LAUTECH Hospital Workers

By Fisayo Oyeyinka

The Department of Security Service in Osun State has invited some workers of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Hospital, Osogbo over the looming crisis on the proposed upgrading of some of the workers.

No fewer than 12 workers of the hospital who are involved in the struggle to get the workers upgraded were at the DSS office in Osogbo on Friday to answer the invitation of the agency.

Sources in the hospital confided in CityMirrorNews that the invited workers spent over 11 hours at the office of the DSS. They reportedly got to the office of the DSS around 10am and left around 8pm.

CityMirrorNews had reported that there is a cold war between the workers and the union leaders of the hospital over the matter.

The Joint Health Sector Unions is opposing the upgrading of the workers majority of which are between level 1, 2 and 3 to level 4, 5, 6, and 7 which was supposed to be their original level of employment.

Most affected in the case are indigenes of Osun State who were recruited in 2012.

The affected workers were upgraded to levels 5, 6 and 7 in 2013 and later demoted in 2015, following the recommendation of a panel set up by the government to investigate the recruitment of workers and salary wage bill of the hospital.

It was gathered that while the Osun State House of Assembly, through the House Committee on Health, has agreed to upgrade the workers, the Joint Health Sector Unions objected to the move, describing it as hypocritical and insincere.

The matter has divided the hospital’s workforce into two and generating tension in the environment.

A new dimension has been introduced into the crisis with the workers accusing some of the union leaders, majority of who are indigenes of Oyo State, of working against the upgrading because they do not want the Osun indigenes to get promotion and attain high position at the hospital.

One of the upgrading agitators who pleaded anonymity said: “Our union leaders that supposed to be fighting our course are now the one opposing our good welfare package. We are not asking them to fight the struggle for us, we have taken it upon ourselves and we have got positive result, but they are objecting and frustrating our moves.

“We understand why they are doing this: it is because some of the union leaders are from Oyo state and we at the lower levels that are agitating for upgrading are from Osun State. The union leaders do not want us to grow in the service.

“The union leaders have been unfriendly to us since we were recruited in 2012. They see us as government’s candidates that want to counterbalance their strength. They have the impression that we are being used by government against them.”