Health workers under the aegis of the Joint Health Sector Union at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi- Araba, protested against delay in the implementation of their agreement with the Federal Government on Tuesday.
The health workers began chanting several songs on the hospital’s premises while carrying placards with inscriptions such as, ‘FG save the health sector from collapse,’ ‘FG must implement its agreements.’
The aggrieved workers who were mostly nurses, pharmacists, record officers and laboratory scientists accused the Federal Government of not prioritising their needs due to the upcoming February elections in the country.
According to the Chairman, LUTH Chapter of the National Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists, Mr. Adefemi Adegoke, the Federal Government has not met with JOHESU this year for a dialogue.
Adegoke said, “The last meeting JOHESU had with the Federal Government was on December 7, and they asked for two weeks for them to generate circulars to the appropriate agencies to ensure that the agreements are implemented.
“Till now, we have not heard from them. We know the President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, is campaigning ahead of the elections, but government must know that lives that are being lost in public hospitals each day due to the two months of the strike are more important than votes.”
Speaking on behalf of the nurses, the Chairman, LUTH Chapter of National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, Mr. Olugbenga Ajala, warned that if labour disputes, which has led to the breakdown of health services in about 50 federal health institutions in the country are not addressed, the Federal Government may meet a collapsed sector after the February elections.
Ajala said, “We are asking that they promote our members who have been stagnated for 14 years on a level. We are asking that health workers wage structure be reviewed. We cannot be rubbished by any group in this sector because we form more than 70 per cent of the workforce in the health sector.
“We are asking that the Federal Government address needless deaths in its hospitals and put an end to this strike before the elections.”
Members of JOHESU embarked on an indefinite strike on October 16 to protest against the non-implementation of collective bargain agreement and Memorandum of Understanding between the union and the Federal Government and the non-implementation of the 2010 judgment of National Industrial Court of Nigeria.
Other demands include the delay in appointing some of their members as consultants and failure to promote health workers on CONHESS 14 to 15.