JOHESU Threatens Strike This Weekend

If the government does not address the issues made by health workers, it is possible that federally owned hospitals would be closed by the weekend.

Remember that on September 17, health workers under the auspices of the Joint Health Sector Unions, JOHESU, and the Assembly of Healthcare Professional Associations, AHPA, issued a 15-day strike notice to the Federal Government over the latter’s alleged inability to address some of the workers’ contentious issues.

Despite the fact that the workers claim they are not strike-mongers, they have stated that if the government does not respond to their requests, they will not hesitate to suspend their services.

In a statement issued yesterday, JOHESU’s national chairman, Comrade Biobelemoye Josiah, asked the Federal Government to act before the end of the fifteen-day notice period set out in its communique issued following its expanded National Executive Council meeting on Friday, September 17th.

At the meeting, the expanded NEC, which included Presidents and General Secretaries of affiliate unions, critically assessed the reports of JOHESU negotiation and conciliation meetings with the Federal Government since the trade dispute was declared on September 2, 2021, and the earlier fifteen-day strike notice expired on September 18, 2021.

“It is pertinent to draw the attention of the federal government to our fresh fifteen (15) days strike Notice, which is billed to expire in the next few days and for it to act to avoid a shutdown of hospitals and other healthcare facilities,” Josiah said in a statement yesterday.

“We wish also to inform the general public that our NEC noted the appeal from President Muhammadu Buhari on the need to show understanding with his administration and the President’s pledge to pay any debt owed health workers.

“We would also wish to note some of the resolutions reached at the end of our not struck how that we are not strike mongers, but just for the federal government to act according to agreements reached.

“We have asked the Federal Ministry of Health to ensure speedy circularisation of all establishment and welfare matters as agreed during negotiation meetings.

“We Equally asked the Federal Government to ensure that the new data for the computation of the adjusted Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) for JOHESU members be completely ​committed to the “High-Level Body” (HLB) of the FG no later than Wednesday, 22nd September 2021 as agreed.

“We also urged the Federal Government to ensure that the “High-Level Body” (HLB) complete and submit the computation of the adjusted CONHESS for inclusion in the 2022 budget on or before the 30th of September, 2021 submission window.

“We charged the Federal Government to reciprocate the patriotic humanitarian gesture of JOHESU in the interest of the larger Nigerian masses to expeditiously resolve all the demands within the fifteen days window.

“We unanimously adopted a resolution to step down the first notice of strike action which expires midnight on 17th September 2021 and issued a fresh notice of fifteen (15) days.

“While we push for better welfare and conditions of service for our members, we urge the federal government to .reflect the promises of Mr. President in the activities relating to our demands to ensure continuous industrial harmony in the health sector.