Strike Alert: Healthcare Workers in Nigeria to Pause Work for Seven Days
The healthcare workers in Nigeria, known as the Joint Health Sectors Union (JOHESU), are taking a short break from work. This break starts at midnight on Friday, October 25, 2024, and will last for seven days. They are doing this to draw attention to certain important issues that need fixing.
Kabiru Minjibir, who leads JOHESU, announced this during a meeting in Abuja. He said the Nigerian government has not replied positively to their requests, even after many meetings.
He explained, “If, after seven days, the government does nothing, we will have no choice but to stop working until things change. We don’t want to do this, but we feel it’s necessary.”
The union had given the government 15 days’ warning to address their concerns starting from October 10, 2024. Some of these concerns are:
- Adjusting their salary structure (called CONHESS) immediately.
- Paying some unpaid salary adjustments from June to December 2023.
- Paying nine months of unpaid salaries from January to September 2024 to certain health workers.
They also want the government to:
- Give enough money to the Environmental Health Regulatory Council.
- Set up boards that manage federal health institutions.
- Consider raising the retirement age for health workers.
- Provide tax waivers for healthcare workers’ allowances.
- Quickly pay any healthcare workers left out of COVID-19 hazard payments.
- Stop the creation of a new health facility agency that they think is unnecessary.
- Take away certain rules they feel are not legal regarding healthcare funds.
- Ensure that pharmacists and other healthcare professionals get the right financial benefits.
The members of JOHESU come from different healthcare and educational groups, like the Medical and Health Workers’ Union of Nigeria and others. They work in various parts of the health sector, including hospitals and educational institutions.
During this period, JOHESU is open to dialogue and is ready to chat with the government to find a solution. They hope the strike won’t need to continue beyond the initial seven days.