Chioma Umeha
Barely nine months after the last industrial
strike that grounded nationwide health care delivery with undesirable
consequences, the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) has again given the
Federal Government a two-week ultimatum to meet its welfare demands or it
embarks on fresh action from January 31.
In a letter to Dr. Chris Ngige, the Minister of
Labour and Employment, JOHESU said it had decided to embark on this strike
after the refusal of the government to address its demand since the suspension
of the industrial action by the union since May 30, 2018.
JOHESU is specifically demanding for the
implementation of the adjusted Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS),
the payment of specialist allowances to deserving health professionals, payment
of arrears of the skipping of CONHESS 10, increase of age of health workers
from 60 to 65 years and the review of the composition of the Boards of Federal
Health Institutions (FHIs).
JOHESU members include five registered
associations including the SSAUTHRIA, NANNM, NASU, MHWUN and NUAHP, the five of
which have formed JOHESU.
The national body of health workers, also
complained about wrongful application of no work-no pay to its members.
Recall the strike action embarked upon by JOHESU
members from April 17 to May 30, 2018
was due to Government’s non Implementation of the “Term of Agreement”
freely entered into on September 30,
2017.
The strike was suspended as an aftermath of the
Court action instituted by Incorporated Trustees of Kingdom Human rights
Foundation International, after a pronouncement which was made by the court
which stated that all parties should maintain “status quo ante” and avoid any
action that can jeopardise the peaceful atmosphere required to resolve the
issues after the case was referred to Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
Centre.
However, the body frowned at the Federal Ministry
of Health’s institution and application of the principle of “No work – no pay,”
to its members noting that it is at variance to the Alternative Dispute
Resolution (ADR) Centre peace accord.
The letter read; “We were surprised that the Federal Ministry of Health opted to
churning our series of circulars among which was the implementation of the “No
work – no pay.” The action led to the non-payment of the part of April, 2018
and the whole of May, 2018 salaries to our members.
“It is the opinion of the leadership of JOHESU
that the action of the Federal Ministry of Health was not in the interest of
peace but to further provoke our members through the frustration they were
forced to bear.”
It therefore called for a revocation of the
principle of “No work – no pay,” saying, it is responsible for the non-payment
of salaries of some of its members.
“In the interest of peace, equity and justice, we
hereby appeal to you to use your good offices to compel the Federal Ministry of
Health to release the withheld salaries to our members,” JOHESU wrote Ngige in
May last year.
DAILY INDEPENDENT reported that the national body
of JOHESU declared the 2018 strike on midnight of Tuesday, April 17, after its
efforts to get the Federal Government to meet its demand failed, hence,
prompting about 90 per cent of the health workforce, all of whom are members of
JOHESU to proceed on the strike actions.
The body’s fresh petition to the Federal
Government on its resolve to resume its suspended industrial action by
Thursday, January 31, 2019, according to its claims is due to indifference from
the former to permanently resolve the lingering issues some of which have
persisted for over five years.
The letter was signed by the leaders of the
several unions that make up JOHESU among whom are Biobelemoye Josiah, National
President of the Medical and Health Workers Unions (MHWUN); Adeniji A.A,
National President, Nigerian Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives
(NANNM); Dr. B.A. Akintola, President, Senior Staff Association of
Universities’ Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes and Associated
Institutions (SSAUTHRIAI) and Akinade M.O., the General Secretary of
SSAUTHRIAI.
Others are Dr. Obinna Ogbonna, National Secretary,
Nigerian Union of Allie Health Professionals (NUAHP); A.O. Obisesan, the
General Secretary of NUAHP; Chris Ani and Peters Adeyemi, National President
and General Secretary of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities and
Associated Institutions (NASU), respectively; and Dr. G.C. Okara, the President
of Assembly of Health Care Professionals (AHPA). JOHESU is made up of five
registered associations, the SSAUTHRIA, NANNM, NASU, MHWUN and NUAHP.
The body said that after a critical look at the
actions of the CMD/MDs in the misappropriation of funds meant to pay its
members arrears and the illegal payment of skipping arrears to Medical Doctors
nationwide and condemned it.
It said; “We condemn in strong terms, the
non-payment of arrears that has spanned for years by the CMDs/MDs of various
health institution across the country to members of JOHESU based on court
judgment (NICN Abuja).
It said the payment of the skipping arrears of its
members that had accumulated should be defrayed without further delay.
“We observed that the money meant to pay the above
had been deliberately misappropriated to cover an illegal payment of skipping
arrears to doctors who ordinarily are not beneficiaries of NICN judgment dated
22nd July, 2013.”
“Minister, Please recall that the National
Salaries Income and Wages commission (NSIWC) had earlier written explain that
Medical Doctors cannot benefit from the judgment award of JOHESU at NICN
judgment dated 22nd July, 2013 in respect of Skipping.”
It also condemned the disregard of the directives
of the Federal Ministry of Health by the CMDs/MDs on the payment of the illegal
skipping arrears, saying it should have attracted sanctions to erring CMDs/MDs
before now.
“That the letter written by the Director of
Hospital Services pointing out the disregard of the directives of the Federal
Ministry of Health by the CMDs/MDs on
the payment of the illegal skipping arrears is in order and should have
actually attracted sanctions to erring CMDs/MDs before now.
“Any illegal payment should be recovered from the
beneficiaries without delay.
“Any erring Chief Executives of the health
institutions should not only be sanctioned through normal bureaucratic channels
but charged for outright Economic and Financial Crimes.”
JOHESU further enjoined the Minister of Health to
commence an agenda of good healthcare practice in the various disciplines in
the health sector as this will boost the quest to attain best practices in the
health system.
The health workers noted with regret that the six
weeks strike which commenced on April 17, 2018, paralysed the entire health
sector, thus paving way for avoidable deaths of millions of Nigerians.
JOHESU stating that it called off the strike in
the interest of the innocent Nigerian patients, therefore urged government to
pay attention to the demands of its members to avoid fresh catastrophe in the
already fragile sector.
The letter read; “There is no gain recalling that
patients suffered excruciating pains, while their relations suffered untold
hardship trying to provide care for their loved ones. All the health
institutions at federal, state and local government levels crumbled. The union
only suspended the strike to avoid increased casualties of the masses.
“Are we to undergo the same harrowing experience
citizens of this country passed through last year? Knowing full well that the issue of strike in
the health sector has to do with human life, government must take all necessary
action to resolve the issues so that that the proposed strike does not take
off.”
Worried about similar development in the education
sector, JOHESU appealed to the Federal Government to respond to issues that
lead to unwarranted strikes in the country to better the lives of its citizenry and usher national
development.
It lamented; “Incidentally, the same scenario is
playing out in the education sector. Our children in the universities had been
at home for over four months now and still counting. This has disastrous
consequences in the lives of our children and the nation’s education system.
“The Federal Government must learn to nip strikes
in the bud and not to allow it to fester only to come to a round table when
everything has gone amiss. JOHESU had been on this issue since 2014, urging
government to improve their lots. We cannot afford to continue to play politics
with the precious lives of Nigerian citizens. A stitch in time saves nine.
