Health workers commence 'Operation Alligator Bite' strike action

The national chairman of the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), Comrade Biobelemoye Joy Josiah instructed health workers to commence a nationwide indefinite strike action starting from Thursday, September 21, 2017.

He declared this at a press briefing in Ilorin, Kwara state, on Wednesday, September 20, citing that the government's attitude towards the union's demands was the reason for the strike.

He said, "This lackadaisical attitude of the government has necessitated the resolve of JOHESU to call out all our members nationwide to withdraw their services and stay at home with effect from midnight of today (Wednesday) even after waiting patiently till this hour on the approval for adjustments of CONHESS.

"We once again appeal to FG to tow the oath of honour and implement all agreements, memorandum of understandings, and courts judgments, while we urge our members at the tertiary health level to make the strike total, and comprehensive.

"In the event that no appreciable response is received from the government within 15 days of commencement of the strike by the Federal Tertiary Health Institutions, all our members in the states, and local governments nationwide are directed to join the action by September 28.".

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The union said the strike action, tagged 'Operation Alligator Bite', is an attempt to force the Federal Government to attend to its concerns about unfair treatment.

The union has long lamented that its members were being subjected to discrimination and industrial marginalisation in the health sector.

Some of their demands include non-payment of backlog of arrears, appointments of consultants and payment of specialist allowance, a revamping of infrastructure in the tertiary health institutions, implementation of the report of the inter-ministerial sub-committee on critical matters in the health sector, addressing the issue of headship of departments in hospitals, residency training for other health professionals, as well as the post of surgeon general.