Supervising Labor Minister Moves to End Health Workers Strike in Nigeria

18 Nov 2014
Linda Eroke
Nigerian ThisDay

The Supervising Minister of Labour and Productivity, Alhaji  Kabiru Turaki, has intervened in the on-going strike embarked upon by health workers under the auspices of Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) by initiating a conciliatory meeting of all stakeholders charged with the resolution of contending issues in the interest of concerned parties.

The minister during the meeting held in Abuja recently, called on JOHESU to suspend the strike in order to safeguard the health of Nigerians.

The strike has commenced in Federal Health Institutions and agencies with states and local governments slated to join a week after.

The meeting noted that although there was no written agreement between the federal government and JOHESU on the fundamental issue of adjustment of salaries for JOHESU as it was done for Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in the same sector on January 1, 2014, the right to have the demand considered was however conceded to members of JOHESU.

It agreed that on the basis of acceptance by both parties, agreement would be entered into and also implementation process would be specified.

In considering the above decisions, the parties noted that time was of the essence while concluding that other issues in dispute would be considered in subsequent meetings as JOHESU promised to suspend the action after the meeting of its National Executive Council (NEC).

The conciliatory meeting was attended by the Minister of State and Supervising Minister of Health, Dr. Khaliru Alhassan; Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Clement Illoh and his counterpart in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Linus Awute; Chairman National Salaries Incomes and Wages Commission, High Chief Richard Egbule, and JOHESU President, Comrade, Ayuba Waba.