Nurses, pharmacists others declare indefinite strike at federal hospitals

Nurses, pharmacists, medical laboratory scientists and other workers under the umbrella of the Joint Health Section Unions in Federal Government owned hospitals across the country have begun an indefinite strike.

The workers said on Wednesday morning they had to resort to the strike to press home their demands because the FG had refused to act on   the agreements reached with them when they suspended their last strike on the same issue of adjustment of Consolidate Health Salary Structure and payment  of arrears of CONHESS 10 over six months ago.

The National Vice Chairman of JOHESU,  Dr. Obinna Ogbonna, who declared the strike after addressing a congress of the union at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex, Ile Ife, said it was painful that while the FG had implemented the salary structure for medical doctors, other members of the unions had been neglected since 2009.

Apart from the upward adjustment of CONHESS,  he said the government had also failed to employ additional health professionals, upwardly  review of retirement age from 60 years to 65 and failure to implement a particular court judgment.

He said the unions first gave the FG a 21-day ultimatum but no action was taken adding that after that another strike notice of 30 working days was given but there was no effort to implement the agreement by the FG.

He said, “Consequent upon this, therefore, JOHESU has no other choice than to proceed on an indefinite nationwide strike as from the midnight of Tuesday 17th April, 2018, which is the spiraling of the notice of strike.

“Therefore, JOHESU hereby directs all her her members in Federal Health Institutions all over the country to commence the strike immediately ( midnight of Tuesday, 17th April , 2018 ) unfailingly. States and Local Government Health Institutions are by this placed on red alert and are to continue intense sensitisation and mobilisation of our members for possible entry into the fray if the government foot drags in attending to our demands.”