The Joint Health Sector Unions, JOHESU and the Allied Healthcare Professionals Association, AHPA say they may have no option than to go on indefinite strike if their key demands from the federal government are not actualized within the stipulated time lines.
This threat of indefinite strike is contained in a thirteen-point communique released by the joint health sector unions, JOHESU and the Allied Healthcare professionals Association, AHPA, which was signed by its chairman, Ado Kabiru and secretary, Martins Egbanubi.
The JOHESU National Leadership had met with the Federal Government Delegation comprising representatives of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment and those of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, after consultation with the Minister of Labour and Employment on December 20, 2024.
The meeting aimed to arrest an indefinite strike plan by JOHESU, which it promised to begin at the expiration of a timeline for implementation of its demands, after a suspended 7-day warning strike on October 31, 2024.
After the meeting with the government on Friday, JOHESU resolved that the Minister of Labour and Employment be allowed to put in place in the next few weeks fresh mechanisms at the highest level to ensure the final resolution of the challenges on the adjustment of the Consolidated Health Salary structure, CONHESS, which has persisted in the last eleven years as this remains the only way to guarantee industrial harmony in the country’s Health Sector.
JOHESU is also lamenting over what it calls the insignificant compliance rate of 15% in eleven out of the 73 federal health institutions, despite the circular formalizing the creation of vacancies and the budget for personnel requirements with regards to the Consultant Pharmacist Cadre.
JOHESU says the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare must invoke the sanction clause on the chief medical directors of Federal Health institutions who refuse to fully implement the Consultant Pharmacists Cadre Circular after March 31, 2025, based on the signed MOU on October 29, 2024.
The union called on Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare to strongly begin aggressive follow up on the demand for upward review of retirement age from 60 to 65 years for health workers and 70 years for Consultants through the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
The health workers commended the Federal Government for actualizing the payment of nine months out of eleven months outstanding salaries to JOHESU members in 13 Professional Regulatory Councils/Agencies under the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, while making a special case for the Environmental Health Regulatory Council of Nigeria to be considered for restoration of funding and Appropriation in view of the very strategic role of the council in the running of Primary Healthcare System in Nigeria, so that outstanding salaries of staff can also be paid.
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