• Thursday, March 28, 2024
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No-pay threats: Health workers vows to continue indefinite strike

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Josiah Biobelemoye,  the national Chairman of  Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU), on Thursday,  vowed to continue its ongoing strike, despite government’s  “no work, no pay” threats.
Biibelemoye, speaking in an exclusive telephone interview with Businessday, in Abuja, on Thursday, said government,s threats to replace the health workers, would not deterred them.
JOHESU which  comprises about 95 percent of the professional groups in the health sector, had embarked on the indefinite strike since Monday, 16th April, 2018, after several fruitless efforts to get government agree to its demand for better condition of service.
This development is coming on the heels of Federal Government threats to invoke labour law of ‘no work no pay rule’ rule if the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU)  continued their strike, which has crippled health care delivery in federal government health institutions
JOHESU is demanding amongst other things;  adjustment of CONHESS salary as done for CONMESS since January 2014, abolition of scale promotion, payment of outstanding arrears on  promotion,skipping and relativity, autonomy for teaching and specialist hospitals,
Others include implementation of all court judgements, and review of retirement age from 60 – 65 years as done for the tertiary education sector.
According to Josiah, “For the benefit of Nigerians, I wish to inform them that, what the Federal government is doing is that after using machete on  a child, you are now telling the child not to cry.
“We entered into an agreement with the Federal government about 6 months ago, an agreement that is suppose to have been implemented in 5 weeks and the federal government failed to implement the agreement.
” We gave the government notice of 21 days , they didn’t do anything to show that they love Nigerians, to avert crisis. We gave them another 40 working days, so in total, 66 days were given but they ignored us”.
Speaking on the next line of action, he said, “we are not deterred, because Federal Ministry of Health since Isaac Adewole, became the Minister, has never given paliative to us, he has always given others but not us.
” We are prepared to continue the strike for the sake of Nigerians. The same government that said there is no money, wrote a memo to federal establishments to employ locals. Where do they get the money? this is a further evidence that the the Federal government and ministry of health are not ready to fulfil the agreement made with us”.