The Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) and Assembly of Healthcare Professional Association have issued a notice to the Federal Government, threatening to embark on indefinite strike in the next 15 days if their outstanding welfare packages are not addressed.
JOHESU, the umbrella body for all health workers’ unions and associations in Nigeria, issued the strike warning in a letter at the weekend addressed to the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige and other relevant stakeholders.
In the letter issued by its National President, Biobelemonye Josiah, JOHESU listed some of the welfare issues to include the adjustment of Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHES), payment of all withheld salaries, review of the implementation of COVID-19 special inducement and hazard allowance, increase in retirement age from 60 to 65 years for health workers and 70 years for consultants, among others.
Others are payment of reviewed hazard allowance in terms of payment that guarantee fairness and justice to all concerned, payment of actual 30 per cent consolidated basic shift duty allowance to nurses/midwives and others.
“Payment of teaching allowance to members on CONHESS 7 and 8 (nurses, midwives and others) and proper placement of nurse graduates and interns, payment of outstanding salaries of intern health professionals and proper implementation of the consultant pharmacist cadre for pharmacists in the public sector.
“You will recall that up till the time of writing this letter, the Federal Government has not deemed it fit to honour the terms of settlement entered into with JOHESU since September 2017.
“This is especially the upward review of CONHESS salary structure as agreed, to be completed within five weeks from the date of agreement, amongst other requests,” Josiah said.
The union said that the 15-day ultimatum would take effect from September 3.
