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Nigerian govt, health workers reach agreement on dispute

September 8, 2021 No Comments

The Federal Government has reached an agreement with aggrieved health workers in the country.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, disclosed this to journalists at the end of a five-hour conciliation meeting with the leadership of Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) on Tuesday in Abuja.

JOHESU had on September 3 issued a 15-day ultimatum to the federal government to meet its demands or face an indefinite strike.

Ngige said both parties reached an understanding at the meeting, adding that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) would be signed next week.

He said the parties discussed in a fraternal way and reached an understanding on the enhancement of hazard allowance, review of retirement age from 60 to 65 years, the arrears of the consequential adjustment of the national minimum wage and other issues in the dispute.

The minister said the government and JOHESU also reached an agreement on the upward adjustment of Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) as done with Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS).

Ngige said: “Based on the previous discussion, we delivered to them (JOHESU) the financial implication of what is due to them and they promised to get back to their members and report back to us.

“On the other hand, the government is meeting with the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) next week for their separate discussion on hazard allowance. Already the federal government has budgeted the sum of N37.5 billion for this.

“The issue was resolved to the satisfaction of all of us. The government is not delaying the hazard allowance as some people want the public to believe.

Since the past six months, the government has been making concerted efforts to push the new hazard allowance into effect, which we are doing now but for disagreement between NMA and JOHESU.”

Politics

Health workers suspend strike in Abia

August 6, 2021 No Comments

Health workers under the umbrella of Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) in Abia State on Thursday suspended their strike in the state.

JOHESU announced the suspension of the strike in a communiqué issued at the end of its meeting with the state government and signed by its chairman in the state, Okoro Ogbonnaya; the secretary, Aligwe Chidi; and Chief of Staff to the Governor, Prof. A. C. B Agbazuere.

The health workers embarked on an indefinite strike a few months ago to protest the non-payment of their salaries and non-implementation of Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) approved by the Federal Government, among others.

The communiqué read: “After an exhausting meeting between Joint Health Sector Unions, JOHESU, Assembly of Health Professionals, Abia State council, and Abia State government represented by the Chief of Staff, Prof. A.C.B Abgazuere, it was resolved as follows:

JOHESU and Assembly of Health Professionals, Abia State Council commend Governor Okezie Ikpeazu on his giant strides in the state health sector and congratulate him on his recent award as Vanguard’s Governor of the year 2019.

That payment of CONHESS should be implemented as directed by the governor while paying next salary of Hospitals Management Board, HMB, Local Governments Healthcare Workers, Social Workers in Ministry of Women’s Affairs and Social Development. JOHESU Exco is permitted to monitor implementation and revert to the Chief of Staff

– That government should take steps to sustain regular payment of subventions to Abia State University Teaching Hospital, ABSUTH, and Hospitals Management Board, HMB, and also constitute a team comprising more labour leaders to look into the affairs of ABSUTH and HMB with a view to finding solutions.

That government should take immediate steps to commence payment of pension and gratuity to scheduled ABSUTH staff.

“At the end of the deliberations, JOHESU and the Assembly of Health Professionals, Abia State Council resolved to suspend the strike action. Should government renege on this agreement, JOHESU, Abia State Council shall have no other choice than to resurrect the suspended strike action in accordance with Labour Laws.”

Politics

NLC moves to pursue insurance cover for health workers lost to COVID-19

January 27, 2021 No Comments

The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has revealed that efforts are underway to follow up on the insurance cover for frontline health workers that died of the deadly COVID-19 virus across the country.

This was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by the President of NLC, Mr Ayuba Wabba, who said that the NLC was working with the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) to follow up on the insurance cover for the lost health workers.

Wabba who made the disclosure at a Five-day 7th Quadrennial National Delegates Conference of NANNM, in Abuja, noted that health workers globally are entitled to hazard and inducement allowances to encourage them to work, with some countries fixing such at 50 per cent.

According to Wabba, the NLC is aware that the federal government has not paid allowances to many health workers especially with the outbreak of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said; “We will work with you to know the number of those that have died to follow up on what they promised as insurance cover for COVID-19.

“We were told 800 health workers were infected with COVID-19.

“Health workers globally are entitled to hazard and inducement allowances to encourage them to work, some countries make such 50 per cent.

“I am aware that in the second wave, there are so many allowances that have not been paid; I urge the government to respect the understanding that we have actually reached,’’ Wabba added.

The NLC boss however frowned at the privatisation of healthcare services, saying; “policies are meant to service the entire people. “We have seen deficiency in privatisation of health care systems around the world, health is not supposed to be for profit.

“Health is a fundamental right of a citizen. Some private hospitals in the country are taking advantage of COVID-19 to exploit people. “We need to defend the larger population against exploitation,’’ he said.