Health workers give govt 15-day strike notice

                                  
Health workers have issued a 15-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to implement outstanding agreements it entered into with them.

They said they would go on an indefinites strike, if the government fails to release the circulars that would back the negotiated issues.

The health workers, under the aegis of the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) and the Assembly of Health Professionals Association (AHPA) addressed reporters yesterday in Abuja on their grievances.
On May 10, 2012, there was an agreement between the Federal Ministry of Health and JOHESU over five important issues.

These include the reconstitution of the boards of tertiary health institutions; promotion of its members from CONHESS 14 to 15 as directors; increase in retirement age from 60 to 65 years; implementation of the 2008 job evaluation report; implementation of the Abdullahi Bello Presidential Committee Report on Harmony in the Health sector.
The workers criticised the Federal Government for reneging on its agreement to please the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA).
JOHESU said the NMA threatened to embark on strike, if the government honoured some of its (JOHESU’s) demands.
Mr. Felix Faniran, the National President of Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP), spoke yesterday on behalf of the group.
He said the unions had been negotiating with the government for over the issues, adding that the government turned back because of the threat by NMA.