Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) has said that the Federal Government’s urgent intervention in resolving the age-long controversial issues of Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) would determine peace and harmony in the sector.
This followed the outcome of a meeting the body held with the National Executive Committee (NEC) where it also reviewed proposed industrial action.
In a letter signed by the National Chairman of JOHESU, Biobelemoye Josiah which was addressed to the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige and made available to BusinessDay, the body which comprises 95 percent of health workers, including Assembly of Healthcare Professional Associations (AHPA) affirmed that they found it officious to intimate the minister of the fundamental resolution adopted at the expanded NEC meeting of JOHESU and AHPA which reviewed the ultimatum for a strike action expected to commence by midnight of Monday, October 4, 2021.
The letter reads in part: “After our usual very critical appraisal during consultations and meetings, the NEC resolved to put on hold the strike action. The decision was hinged on the engagement with the Federal Government on Wednesday, October 6, 2021.”
The union said that the leadership of JOHESU reasoned that the meeting with the Federal Government would be conducive for an update on developments with regards to the major demands of JOHESU especially in the area of adjustment of CONHESS as it was done with CONMESS.
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According to them, the meeting would be an opportunity to show evidence-based data of the circularisation of the redress of all highlighted service delivery challenges peculiar to members of JOHESU.
The letter further reads, “In a bid to avoid an endless circus show, the leadership of JOHESU needs to make it unambiguously clear that the meeting with the Federal Government on Wednesday, October 6, 2021, will be the ultimate litmus test to evaluate the seriousness of the Federal Government to resolve once and for all, the tortuous subject matter of adjustment of CONHESS which has lingered since January 2, 2014 (almost eight years) now and also determine the depth of industrial harmony in the Health Sector.
“Finally, Honourable Minister, the JOHESU family appreciates some of the gains in our current negotiations but has resolved albeit very strongly, that the Federal Government must show more commitment in reasonable time to ward off the reality of a strike we have continued to maturely and consistently refuse to embrace in public interest.
“It is, therefore, necessary to encourage the Minister to catalyse the efforts of the Federal Government that is geared to permanently ameliorate the demands of JOHESU.
“We wish the Hon. Minister and other key players in the Federal Government team well as we tackle these seemingly unending challenges,” the letter added.
The letter was copied to key Federal Government agencies, parastatals and offices of National Assembly.
These include the Secretary to the Government; president of the Senate; Speaker, House of Representative; Minister of State for Health; Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health and Director-General, Department of State Service.
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