The National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) says it will embark on a seven-day warning strike over the federal government’s “failure to address” its pending demands.
The association had earlier issued a 15-day ultimatum to the federal government, starting July 14, after which it stated that it would embark on industrial action if its demands were still not met.
Speaking with TheCable on Monday, Jama Medan, NANNM chairman in the federal capital territory, said the association is currently mobilising to down tools in all primary, secondary and tertiary health institutions across the country.
“We will embark on a seven-day warning strike starting midnight on July 29. After the strike, if the federal government still does not respond to us, we will then decide the next line of action,” he said.
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Medan said some of the organisation’s demands include gazzetting of the nurses scheme of service approved by the NCE in 2016 in Minna, Niger state, implementation of the national industrial arbitration court (NIC) judgment of January 27, 2012, upward review of professional allowance for nurses and midwives, and employment of nursing personnel and adequate provision of health facility equipment.
He said other demands include creation of a department of nursing in the federal ministry of health, inclusion of nurses in the headship of health policy-making body, a fair representation by the association on the board and membership in federal health institutions, centralisation of internship posting for graduate nurses, and consultancy for nurses and midwives.
The association is also demanding the withdrawal of the the content of the recently released circular on reviewed allowances for health workers (Nurses), describing it as “grossly inadequate and discriminatory”.
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NANNM has also announced the strike in a message on its social media platforms, advising patients to “make alternative plans in advance”.
“All government owned health facilities across the nation will be affected. The federal government has redused to improve the healthcare sector by addressing our demand,” the message reads.
