Members of the Joint Health Sector Unions in Nigeria have threatened to embark on a nationwide strike if the Federal Government refused to accede to their demands within the next 30 days.
While addressing members of the unions at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, JOHESU National President, Joshua Biobelemoye, said the ultimatum was issued after the Federal Government failed to implement the agreement it had with the unions over several welfare issues.
Biobelemoye accused the government of bias against the health workers belonging to the unions.
He said, “Members of the unions had exercised enough patience on the need for the government to implement the agreement, but we cannot continue to wait while the FG ignores our pleas and the agreement it had with us.
“We are moving round all the health institutions in Nigeria in order to sensitise members that the FG has failed to honour its promises and the agreement reached with us five months ago. It is proper that we let our people know the steps we have taken so far on the issue at stake so that if there is the need for us to call them out for a nationwide strike, they will not be surprised.
“It took the government 16 days, from September 6 to 21, 2017, to address medical doctors’ demands. But for us, nothing has been done regarding our own demands. We have met with government representatives on several occasions with no positive results.”
Biobelemoye said that the unions had earlier issued a 21-day notice of compliance to the FG, which it ignored.
The JOHESU president, therefore, stressed that at the expiration of the new ultimatum, the health workers under the unions all over the country would go on a total strike.
