TheCable

Members of the Joint Health Workers Union (JOHESU) on Wednesday staged a protest in the federal capital territory (FCT), Abuja over the federal government’s failure to meet their demands.

The workers were demanding the payment of hazard allowance and an adjustment of the consolidated health salary structure.

They also want an end to the discrimination in the health industry.

The union has resolved to embark on an indefinite strike from midnight of May 24.

In a letter dated May 9, 2023, the leadership of JOHESU issued a 15-day ultimatum to the government over alleged inconsistencies in the “ongoing negotiations to adjust the consolidated health salary structure”.

The union said the federal government had shown tendencies to shift from their agreed terms and rules of engagement relating to non-discrimination in the determination of the wages and benefit packages of health workers in Nigeria.

JOHESU called for the adjustment of the health salary structure as agreed in terms of the settlement of September 2017, which had lingered since 2014.

The union also asked for the payment of peculiar allowance to health workers “under the aegis of JOHESU”.

Other demands include, “payment of all withheld salaries of our members in Federal Medical Center in Owerri, Jos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos University Teaching Hospital and their withheld April and May 2018 salaries; speedy adjustment of retirement age from 60 – 65 years and the exclusion of some health workers in the payment of new hazard allowance as well as payment of COVID-19 allowance balance”.

Meanwhile, unions under JOHESU such as the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria and the Association of Hospital and Administrative Pharmacists of Nigeria have instructed their members to join the strike from midnight of Wednesday.