Health workers embark on indefinite strike over unmet demands

The Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP) has announced its plans to embark on an indefinite national strike.

The group, as reported by The Nation, said it is embarking on the strike action over alleged unwillingness by the Federal Government to attend to their demands despite promising to do so immediately after the elections.

Medical laboratory, X-ray, physiotherapy, pharmacy and nursing services and the major areas that will be affected by the strike.

The beginning of the strike coincided with that of Association of Resident Doctors, UCH branch, over unpaid skipping allowances by the management.

The group in a statement, gave the Federal Government till Monday, this week, to address their demands, failure which it threatened to embark on indefinite strike.

Demands of the group include implementation of the adjusted salary of its members as done for the medical association, payment of arrears on skipping of CONHESS 10 since year 2010 in compliance with a court judgment, promotion of its members from CONHESS 14 to 15 for those who have spent over 15 years on the grade and designating the most senior as director or head of department.

Other demands include appointment of its members as chief medical directors of various tertiary hospitals, rather than medical practitioners alone.

Speaking at joint press conference, NUAHP immediate past President Felix Faniran and his successor, Dr. Obinna Ogbonna said the industrial action it embarked upon early this year was suspended following plea by President Goodluck Jonathan, promising to resolve all pending issues after the general election.

However every effort to see the president after the election have been abortive.

Lamenting the precarious situation of the group, Faniran said:

"It will be unethical for us to welcome the incoming administration with a strike. But we would like to put it on record that the outgoing administration has failed to fulfill any of the agreement reached with us three years ago. This is the best time for us to go on strike because the last time we embarked on industrial action during the electioneering campaign, we were accused of being bought over by the opposition and we had to call it off to show respect for the office of Mr. President. If we fail to continue from where we stopped, they will say we are sympathetic to the cause of the incoming administration,"