Shutdown of Health Sector Looms as JOHESU Issues Strike Notice

Onyebuichi Ezigbo in Abuja

A total shutdown of Nigeria’s health sector is imminent as the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) and Assembly of Healthcare Professional Association (AHPA) has threatened to commence an indefinite strike in the next 15 days if the federal government does not address “outstanding welfare issues” of their members.

The unions’ threat is coming barely six days after the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) issued a 21-day ultimatum to the government.
The sector is facing disruption in services already because of the industrial action commenced by the leadership of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) on August 2, 2021.

JOHESU’s National President, Mr. Biobelemonye Josiah, said in a letter addressed to the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, and other relevant stakeholders in Abuja, that the 15-day ultimatum was necessitated by the non-challant attitude of the government to the plight of its members.

According to Josiah, the welfare issues include Adjustment of Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHES) as was done with Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) since 2014, payment of all withheld April and May 2018 salaries of their members, and withheld Salaries in Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owerri; JUTH and LUTH; and the review of the defective implementation of COVID-19 Special Inducement and Hazard Allowance.

Others include: Implementation of National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), Consent judgment and other court judgments, increase in the retirement age from 60 to 65 years for health workers, and 70 years for Consultant Health Professionals.

“Others are payment of reviewed hazard allowance in terms of payment that guarantees fairness and justice to all concerned, payment of actual 30 per cent consolidated basic shift duty allowance to Nurses/Midwives and others.
“Payment of teaching allowance to members on CONHESS 7 and 8 (Nurses, Midwives, and others) and proper placement of Nurse Graduates and Interns,” he said.

JOHESU president also said others include: Payment of outstanding salaries of intern health professionals and all the tertiary health institutions, proper implementation of the consultant pharmacist cadre for pharmacists in the public sector, among others.
According to him, “you will recall that up till the time of writing this letter, the federal government has not deemed it fit to honour the Terms of Settlement entered into with JOHESU since September 2017.

”This is especially the upward review of CONHESS Salary Structure as agreed, to be completed within five weeks from the date of agreement amongst other requests.

”Government did not deem it fit to address these key issues during the duration of the last seven days warning strike and has only met with JOHESU on July 12,” he said.

Josiah said that it would also be recalled that in July 2020, that the Minister of Health agreed that a mistake was made by the government in the payment of COVID-19 Special Inducement and Hazard Allowances.