The Kaduna State chapter of Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) and Assembly of Health Care Professionals (AHCP) will from today join the ongoing JOHESU national strike.
The national leadership of JOHESU and AHCP had on April 17, 2018 declared an industrial strike action and directed state, FCT and local government to join on May 9, 2018.
Addressing newsmen in Kaduna on Friday, the executive members of the joint union in the state led by its chairman, Comrade Ayuba M. Suleiman, directed all members in the state and local government health institutions to commence the JOHESU strike at midnight of Friday, May 18, 2018 unfailingly.
According to him, JOHESU’s demands at the state level include that the state government should issue a circular for implementation of the balance of 30 percent Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) for the state and local government health workers.
Other demands include that all statutory and professional dues deductions including pension, taxes, national housing fund, cooperative contribution and union check-off dues be remitted without further delay to the appropriate institutions as well as to domesticate court judgement in favour of Medical Laboratory Scientists from the National Industrial Court in Kaduna state (Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital).
“We want to place it on record that the leadership of JOHESU in Kaduna state has gratuitously offered an extra nine days olive branch outside the time frame for the commencement of the strike which was May 9, 2018 just to enable the state government to address the issues in contention but the gesture has not been well appreciated the government.
“So it is with pains in our hearts that we are drawing the attention of our members, consumers of health services and the general public that just like the federal government is not showing any sign of commitment by addressing the issued placed before it by the national leadership of JOHESU, one month after the strike commenced; the Kaduna state government has also not demonstrated any serious commitment to the domestic issues placed before it as at our last meeting with government on Thursday, May 17, 2018 ended up with promisory note without any offer,” Suleiman said.
The union therefore called on well-meaning Nigerians and Kaduna state indigenes in particular to prevail on government to meet the demands of the union by honouring the agreements and issued presented. It also urged Nigerians to bear with them as they were left with no other option than to take their destiny into their hands.
The JOHESU demands at the national level include the upward adjustment of Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) Salary Scale, Arrears of skipping of Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) 10, employment of additional health personnel, implementation of various courts judgments and upward review of retirement age from 60 to 65 years among others.
