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June 5, 2023
The suspension was announced after the leadership of the unions held a meeting with President Bola Tinubu on Monday.
The Joint Health Sector Unions and Assembly of Healthcare Professional Associations have suspended its indefinite strike for 21 days.
The suspension was announced after the leadership of the unions held a meeting with President Bola Tinubu on Monday.
The Acting National Secretary, Matthew Ajirotu, in a text message sent to PUNCH, said the president promised to approve their demands.
He said, “JOHESU has just suspended its strike with a caveat to review it after 21 days.
“We met President Tinubu today at a 1-hour parley and he promised to give approval to the demands after further consultations with appropriate quarters in government.”
JOHESU is the umbrella body of health workers’ unions and associations, including the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria, Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals, Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, and Senior Staff Association of Universities’ Teaching Hospitals Research Institutes and Associated Institutions, and Assembly of Healthcare Professionals.
The health workers are demanding the immediate approval and implementation of the Technical Committee report on Consolidated Health Salary Structure adjustment by FG; immediate payment of the omission and shortfall in the COVID-19 hazard/inducement allowances of affected health workers in the federal health institutions and recognition of support health workers in hospital facilities in the payment of new hazard allowance; payment and inculcation of peculiar allowances to health workers under the aegis of JOHESU/AHPA.
The other demands are the immediate and unconditional implementation of the pharmacist consultant cadre, unconditional payment of all withheld salaries of Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, Jos University Teaching Hospital, and the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, and April and May 2018 salaries of members at NOFIC, Azare; and the speedy implementation of the increase in the retirement age from 60 to 65 years and 70 years for consultants in the health professions.
The leadership of JOHESU had in a letter dated May 9, 2023, issued a 15-day ultimatum to the Federal Government over alleged inconsistencies of the government in the ongoing negotiations to adjust the Consolidated Health Salary Structure for health workers on their platforms.