“Fatshimetrie”, an online daily, recently published an article dealing with the situation of health workers in Nigeria, more specifically the strike announced by the president of the state chapter of the Medical Workers Union and the Health of Nigeria (MHWUN), John Fabunmi. According to his statements to the NAN news agency in Ibadan, a warning strike movement will be observed by members of the union in all health institutions in the state, including those in ministries, departments and boards local.
Fabunmi stressed that this industrial action has become imperative to make their demands heard. He said the union had repeatedly reminded the state government of its grievances but nothing had been done to address them.
Among the union’s demands is the need to spread the state’s new hazard pay to include all other health care workers in the state, not just those working in hospitals. Another demand concerns the return of some of the members removed from the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) and the inclusion of those who were not placed in CONHESS.
Despite granting a 14-day ultimatum to the state government, no concrete steps have been taken to meet these demands. The deadline expired on June 21, and no response has been received since.
Faced with this impasse, the union decided to launch a seven-day warning strike starting Monday, June 24, in order to draw more government attention to the need to respond to their demands.
The move follows an indefinite strike by nurses and midwives, under the directive of the state chapter of the National Association of Nurses and Midwives of Nigeria (NANNM), due to the government’s lack of response to requests from the association.
It is therefore imperative that the government takes necessary steps to address the legitimate demands of healthcare workers, to avoid further disruption to the sector and ensure the continued provision of essential care to the people of Nigeria.””