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Tag: Strike

  • JOHESU shelves plans to shutdown healthcare services in Nigeria

    JOHESU shelves plans to shutdown healthcare services in Nigeria

    The Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) and Assembly of Healthcare Professional Associations (AHPA) have suspended their threat to shut down healthcare services in the country.

    The unions had earlier threatened to disrupt normal services in hospitals and other healthcare facilities across the country over Federal Government’s inability to meet their members’ demands.

    Mr Matthew Ajorutu, the JOHESU Acting General National Secretary, said this in a communique issued on behalf of JOHESU National Chairman on Tuesday in Abuja.

    Ajorutu said the decision to put on hold their planned industrial action was taken in the interest of giving the federal government an ample opportunity to meet their demands.

    Recall that the union had on Sept. 2, issued the federal government a 15-day ultimatum to meet its demands without which it will embark on nationwide strike at the expiry date.

    The union however stepped down the notice of strike that expired mid-night Sept. 17 and issued a fresh notice of 15 days.

    Ajorutu said that the decision was reached at the end of an emergency meeting of the union’s expanded National Executive Council(NEC) held on Monday in Abuja.

    He also said the decision was unanimously reached by “the Presidents and General Secretaries of affiliate unions and Professional Associations, NEC members of affiliate unions and JOHESU Chairmen and Secretaries at the State and branch levels.

    ”The leadership of JOHESU reasoned that it was necessary to give the Federal Government a conducive environment to present an update on developments with regards to the major demands of JOHESU.

    ”This, especially in the area of adjustment of CONHESS as it was done with CONMESS while also showing evidence based data of the circularisation of the redress of all highlighted service delivery challenges peculiar to members of JOHESU.

    “The expanded NEC lauded the Federal Government for the marginal paradigm shift in resolving some of its demands particularly as it relates the on-going payment of outstanding COVID-19 Special Inducement and Hazard Allowance.

    “In a bid to avoid an endless circus show, the leadership of JOHESU needs to make it unambiguously clear that the meeting with the Federal Government on Wednesday, October 6, will be the ultimate litmus test to evaluate the seriousness of the Federal Government to resolve once and for all.

    ”The tortuous subject matter of adjustment of CONHESS which has lingered since January 2, 2014 (almost 8 years) now and also determine the depth of industrial harmony in the Health Sector.

    “Finally, NEC-in-Session unanimously adopts a resolution to put on hold the notice of strike action due to expire mid-night today, October 4, and wait for the outcome of the meeting with Federal Government on October 6, before issuing a fresh notice of fifteen days,” the communiqué read in part.

  • BREAKING: Resident doctors call off strike, to resume on Wednesday

    BREAKING: Resident doctors call off strike, to resume on Wednesday

    The National Association of Resident Doctors has suspended its lingering nationwide strike.

    The strike action which started on August 2 has been suspended with effect from 8am, Wednesday, according to the President of the association, Dr Godiya Ishaya.

    Details later…

     

  • Festus Iyayi to ASUU: The Strike Next Time – Hope Eghagha

    Dear Comrades-in-the-Struggle, from the depths of my celestial heart, I bring you spirit-felt greetings from the sweetness of the nether world where I have been along with some other spi-patriots since I was accidented in 2013 while on a mission for our great union! I look back with pride on the role which I played in the struggle to better the lot of the Nigerian university system. I also commend ASUU national on the way they have kept the nation on its toes to save university education. For, without ASUU, strikes or no, universities would have been long dead like public secondary schools in Nigeria, fit only for children of the poor. But let a new spirit arise henceforth.

    Sadly, not much has changed since I left suddenly eight years ago. What are undergraduate doing these days with their degrees? What is the content of the curriculum like these days? Do you guys prepare your wards for 21st century challenges? I will leave that topic for another day. By the way, we are good here as good as good can be in the celestial world.

    I guess you think it strange that I am writing to you from the celestial world to discuss mundane matters of bread and butter which concern mere mortals on the other side of the realm. But up here, comrades like Gani Fawehinmi, Beko Ransome-Kuti, Chima Ubani, Bamidele Aturu, Dimowo, the irrepressible Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, and many others are worried about the state of things in the universities in our former homeland. Aturu says universities cannot be insulated from the rot in the larger Nigerian society. That’s why, he says, most Vice Chancellors have become like PDP/APC politicians! Indeed, we could barely hold back Fela last week when in fury he said he wanted to descend to your plane and shake the university system to its foundations!

    All the time we were meeting to Xray education, Abacha was looking at us with ‘corner eye! We simply ignored him because he is still highly mischievous though he lacks the capacity to bully anybody. Awolowo sends his greetings, deeply pained by the decrepit state of schools in some part of the country. That day when some schoolgirls were kidnapped in Chibok, the grand old man could not sleep a wink. He kept writing furiously all night to some fellow in Abuja. I wonder if the letter has dropped into the ugly ostentation that is Aso Rock. Azikiwe is in perpetual mourning over events in the southeast, especially in Anambra and Imo states! But our concerns are paralyzing, even for spirits who are immune to inertia! Precisely, we are worried about the strike which the insensitive federal government is goading you into all too soon!

    How are things? Perhaps I should not ask you such a question. I can see from here all the shenanigans from Abuja. Of course, we are insulated from the decimating atrophy which governance has become in Nigeria. We are also worried about the cavalier attitude of government to the high level of killings and kidnappings in the land. Kaduna is killing field yet that little fellow in Government House keeps posturing about other less important matters. The state governors seem to be happily helpless, supine in erotic languidness in the aftermath of a surfeit of assorted cuisines, heaping all the blame on the distant federal government. Why can’t governors do something for the citizens who elected them? The federal government carries on with criminal apathy, detached from the emotional trauma in the country. Death has become so common that everyday persons are routinely dispatched to us with reckless abandon. If I were to rewrite my novel Violence, it would be a different story kettle!

    As I hinted in the first paragraph of this letter, our eyes are currently on the universities. The conclusion here is that the strike next time should be on just three demands – STAFF WELFARE! STAFF WELFARE!! STAFF WELFARE!!! And when we say staff welfare, we do not refer to anything ambiguous or abstract as revitalization of universities, constitution of visitation panels, salary payment platform (UTAS or IPPIS), salary arrears or earned allowance, or increase in budgetary allocation to education. Our collective advice is that the take home pay of the university teacher should be the focus of the next strike. Demand One! Demand Two!! Demand Three!!! should be a new salary package for university teachers.

    This is no time for idealistic nonsense. ASUU members are hungry and angry. They have suffered and endured enough. But for Cooperative Societies, the matter would have carried the face of a demented lion. ASUU members want a take-home pay that can take them home. Not the miserable change that they get and struggle to make extra money from sundry sources. So, when next you call out your members for a strike, a better salary package should be foremost on the demands’ list. If you leave that out, I will write another letter and direct them to ignore ASUU leadership. I’m serious. I am aware that the Professor Munzali Jibril Committee was set up last year to look at the FG-ASUU agreements which had led to incessant strikes in the last ten odd years. What has become of the new salary structure which was touted then? Why is that matter not in the public domain?

    What is happening with ETF now TETFUND which we fought for? It has been hijacked by bureaucrats and the federal government uses it as a weapon of goodwill to good boys, dominated by a certain section of the country. Does ASUU have a say about its affairs? No. What about the hazard allowance that was painstakingly fought for? Everybody in the university system now wants and gets hazard allowance. It is ridiculous though I agree that anybody who lives in Nigeria deserves a hazard allowance. The same applies to excess workload allowance which we gallantly fought for. Don’t stress earned allowances anymore. Any allowances which academics are entitled to should be built into the monthly take home.

    Dear Comrades, do come off the high horse and meet your members at their point of need. Let the government fund and maintain its universities. Keep your members’ welfare in focus. No professor at bar should take home less than one million five hundred naira monthly. Not the miserable four hundred or four hundred and fifty thousand naira that a typical professor is insulted with monthly. Or a fresh PhD holder who goes home with one hundred and twenty thousand naira monthly! Teaching in the university should not be the equivalent of eternal poverty. Shine your eyes. You can only save the lives of academics; not the university system. It is partially because of the poor salary scale that every Tom, Dick and Harry wants to open a university. What do we need all those glorified secondary schools for which can hardly afford a decent library? If we must call a spade by its name, enough of the travesty that is called university education in Nigeria and the miserable salaries that hardworking academics are paid! A labourer deserves his wages!

    We are well. You keep fit. I shall write again very soon. Till then remember as Marx said, ‘wages are determined through the antagonistic struggle between capitalist and worker. Victory goes necessarily to the capitalist. The capitalist can live longer without the worker than can the worker without the capitalist!

  • Resident doctors get new leadership, insist strike continues

    Resident doctors get new leadership, insist strike continues

    The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has elected a new set of members to take over the leadership of the union.

    At the Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the doctors held on Saturday at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) in Bauchi, Dr Dare Ishaya was inaugurated as the new NARD President.

    Similarly, Dr Edoga Chima and Dr Buba Babangida emerged as the first and second Vice Presidents respectively, while Dr Suleiman Abiodun Isma’il was sworn in as the Secretary-General.

    The meeting which was attended by 76 chapters of the union across the country deliberated on issues affecting health care delivery and the welfare of members, especially those that led to the ongoing nationwide strike.

    After critical appraisal of the performances of both Federal and state governments on the issues, the doctors unanimously resolved by vote to continue the total and indefinite strike action, until their minimum demands were met.

    They asked the Federal Government to ensure the payment of the Medical Residency Training within 72 hours, in order to restore normalcy to the health sector.

    The doctors also demanded the payment of the arrears of salaries of their colleagues on the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) platform within 72 hours while the process of migrating to the Integrated Payroll and Personnel information system (IPPIS) continues.

    Other demands by the union included the withdrawal of the court case against NARD and payment of withheld August and September salaries.

    “The Federal Government should prevail on various state governments to urgently pay arrears of salaries and allowances owed our members in the state tertiary health institutions as stated above,” a communique issued at the end of the meeting read.

    “The AGM also urges the Federal Government to consider the universal implementation of the MRTA in all training institutions in the country including those in the states. The AGM reiterated unequivocally, especially to the members of the public, that we are committed to the smooth running of the health sector, but we can only do so when our welfare is given the desired attention.

    “We, therefore, call on all well-meaning Nigerians to prevail on the government to set aside all technicalities as directed by President Muhammadu Buhari and resolve the aforementioned demands in the interest of the masses and our members who are currently suffering because of the ongoing strike action.”

  • Strike: Resident doctors fault court judgement ordering them to resume immediately, head to Appeal Court

    Strike: Resident doctors fault court judgement ordering them to resume immediately, head to Appeal Court

    The leadership of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has faulted the ruling of the National Industrial Court (NIC) directing its members to return to work.

    A communique jointly signed by NARD President, Dr Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi, and the union’s Secretary-General, Dr Jerry Isogun, on Friday revealed that the doctors have begun the process to appeal the ruling.

    “As we are all aware, especially those that were present in court today (Friday), the NIC has given a ruling on the application for interlocutory injunction filed by the Federal Government,” the statement said. “We are not satisfied with the ruling.

    “After consultations with our lawyers, we have instructed our lawyers to appeal the ruling and file an application for stay of execution.”

    The statement is in reaction to the ruling of Justice Bashar Alkali who ordered the resident doctors to suspend their ongoing industrial action and return to work immediately, pending the determination of the substantive suit.

    Justice Alkali who ruled on an application by the government had also directed parties in the matter to return to the negotiating table, saying no amount of money could compensate for the loss of lives as a result of the impasse.

    In demonstration of its displeasure with the decision of the court, NARD instructed its lawyers to file necessary processes, rather than ask members to return to their duty posts.

    It also asked the doctors to remain calm and resolute, saying “everything depends on our firm resolve.”

    “We are committed to protecting your rights within the confines of the law. We believe justice shall be ours ultimately,” the union told its members.

    It stated that the court had reserved ruling on which application it would take first on Wednesday, and its lawyers argued that the court ought to hear and determine the Notice of Preliminary Objection (NPO) filed by the doctors to challenge the jurisdiction of the court before taking the application for an interlocutory injunction or any other application.

    The union added that the court adjourned ruling on the argument on the matter until Friday, after which it ruled that it would take the government’s application for interlocutory injunction first while its NPO would be taken and determined along with the substantive suit.

    “Also, our lawyers drew the attention of the court to our application for stay of execution of the ex parte order and that the court should take that application first. The court insisted that the government application would be taken first.

    “On 15/9/21, the court ordered all parties to resume negotiations. The government refused to resume negotiations in line with the order of 23/8/21. Our lawyers reported this development to the court. We have demonstrated good faith and would continue to do so,” the statement said.

  • JUST IN: Court orders resident doctors to suspend strike, return to work immediately

    JUST IN: Court orders resident doctors to suspend strike, return to work immediately

    The National Industrial Court has ordered resident doctors to suspend their strike action and go back to work immediately, pending the determination of the substantive suit.

    All parties have also been asked to return to the negotiating table.

    Justice Bashar Alkali made the order on Friday while ruling on an application by the Federal Government.

    The court held that there is no amount of money that will compensate for the loss of lives in the circumstances.

    Counsel to the Federal Government, Mr Tochukwu Maduka, had moved his motion for interlocutory injunction and prayed the court for an order restraining the defendant from continuing with the industrial action pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.

    He argued that the resident doctors are persons who provide essential services and cannot embark on strike as continuing to do so will wreak hardship on citizens.

    Counsel to the resident doctors, Femi Aborishade, vehemently opposed the application for interlocutory injunction and urged the court to discountenance their application.

    He argued that the life of a medical doctor is not less useful than the life of an average human being.

    He further pointed out that justice must be balanced, not just to the government, but also to the doctors who are the field marshals in the face of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

    Both parties had told the vacation judge, Justice Bashar Alkali, at the industrial court, on September 15, that they were set to negotiate and give the court an update by Friday.

    But the process of negotiation and possible settlement failed.

    Speaking shortly after the court ruling, however, the counsel to the doctors said he would advise them accordingly and show them other options of appeal, but they would not disobey court orders.

  • Strike: Court fixes date for judgement as FG, doctors agree to resume negotiation

    Strike: Court fixes date for judgement as FG, doctors agree to resume negotiation

    The National Industrial Court has fixed September 17 to rule on the application of jurisdiction and contempt of court, filed by both the Federal Government and the Association of Nigerian Resident Doctors (NARD).

    At the resumed hearing on Wednesday, counsel to the striking resident doctors, Femi Falana (SAN), told the court that he had an application challenging the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the case.

    The counsel to the Federal Government, Tochukwu Maduka (SAN), however, pointed out that the issue of contempt of the court, by the resident doctors, should be heard first, before that of the jurisdiction.

    He added that there was an order by the court that the resident doctors and the Federal Government should suspend all hostilities and maintain the status quo, but the doctors did not obey the court order.

    According to him, the strike action, embarked upon on August 2 by the resident doctors has wreaked untold suffering on the citizenry, amounting to numerous deaths of persons.

    After listening to the submission of both parties, Justice Bashar Alkali fixed September 17 to rule.

    Meanwhile, the Federal Government and the resident doctors have both agreed to go back to the negotiating table.

  • JOHESU threatens another strike, issues 15 days ultimatum to FG

    JOHESU threatens another strike, issues 15 days ultimatum to FG

    The Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) and Assembly of Healthcare Professional Association have issued the Federal Government a 15-day ultimatum, saying they will commence an indefinite strike over outstanding welfare issues with the union.

    Mr Biobelemonye Josiah, JOHESU’s National President, said this in a letter addressed to the Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige, and other relevant stakeholders on Saturday in Abuja.

    Josiah said that the 15-day ultimatum was necessitated by the non-challant attitude of government to the plight of its members.

    According to Josiah, the welfare issues include adjustment of Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHES) as was done with Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) since 2014, payment of all withheld April and May 2018 Salaries of our members and withheld Salaries in Federal Medical Center, Owerri, JUTH and LUTH, review of the defective implementation of COVID-19 Special Inducement and Hazard Allowance, implementation of National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), Consent judgment and other court judgments, increase in retirement age from 60 to 65 years for health workers and 70 years for Consultant Health Professionals.

    ”Others are payment of reviewed hazard allowance in terms of payment that guarantee fairness and justice to all concerned, payment of actual 30 per cent consolidated basic shift duty allowance to Nurses/Midwives and others.

    ”Payment of teaching allowance to members on CONHESS 7 and 8 (Nurses, Midwives and others) and proper placement of Nurse Graduates and Interns,” he said.

    JOHESU president also said others include payment of outstanding salaries of intern health professionals and all the Tertiary Health Institutions, proper implementation of the consultant pharmacist cadre for pharmacists in the public sector, among others.

    According to him, “you will recall that up till the time of writing this letter, the Federal Government has not deemed it fit to honour the Terms of Settlement entered into with JOHESU since September 2017.

    ”This is especially the upward review of CONHESS Salary Structure as agreed, to be completed within five weeks from the date of agreement amongst other requests.

    ”Government did not deem it fit to address these key issues during the duration of the last seven days warning strike and has only met with JOHESU on July 12,” he said.

    Josiah said that it would also be recalled that on July 2020, that the Minster of Health agreed that a mistake was made by government in the payment of COVID-19 Special Inducement and Hazard Allowances.

    He noted that the shortfall was in the payment of 50 per cent Basic of Consolidated allowances to all those Health Workers. It was a mistake on the part of government and the shortfall shall be paid according to affected health workers.

    He added that up till the time of this letter, the shortfall has not been paid. To make matters worse, when the payment for June 2020 was made, government decided to again wrongfully pay 10 per cent of Consolidated Basic Allowances to our members affected by the shortfall of April and May 2020.

    ‘This is in contravention of the spirit and content of the MoU signed on April 21, 2020.

    ”JOHESU, in compliance with the provision of Section 41 of the Trade Disputes Act Cap.T8 LFN 2004, is constrained to give the Federal Government of Nigeria 15 days ultimatum with effect from September 3.

    ”This also is to inform you that with effect from midnight of September 17, all our members in the Federal Health Institutions shall embark on an indefinite strike action in all state and Local Government health institutions.

    ”You are all placed on red alert for the strike, if the Federal Government foot drags in attending to our demands,” he said.

    Josiah, however, noted that JOHESU had shown maturity, selflessness and patriotism in the face of extreme provocations and government’s nonchalant attitude on the welfare of its members.

  • Strike: FG rejects NMA’s 21-day ultimatum to resolve disputes with NARD, others

    Strike: FG rejects NMA’s 21-day ultimatum to resolve disputes with NARD, others

    The Ministry of Labour and Employment has rejected the 21-day ultimatum given to the Federal Government by the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) saying it is in direct collision with the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on August 21.

    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that the NMA had threatened to join the ongoing strike by the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) if the government failed to resolve all the issues contained in the various agreements signed with its affiliate unions in 21 days.

    But reacting on Sunday evening, to the threat in a statement titled, ‘Labour Ministry to NMA: Your 21-Day Ultimatum in Collision With Our MoU,’ the government argued that the NMA’s position was at variance with the timeline stated in the Memorandum of Agreement.

    This ultimatum was part of the resolutions reached during its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, held in Benin City last week.

    “After due consideration, NEC put the Federal Government on a 21 days’ notice to fully resolve all the issues contained in the various agreements signed with Affiliate members of the Nigerian Medical Association (including MDCAN, MEDSABAMS, and NARD),” the statement jointly signed by its President, Prof Innocent AO Ujah and Secretary, Dr. Philips Uche Ekpe, read.

    According to the doctors, if the Federal Government fails to implement the agreements after the expiration of the 21- day notice, the NMA will summon an emergency delegate meeting.

    NMA’s ultimatum is the latest in the lingering tussle between the Nigerian government and NARD which has gone on strike since July 31.

    Despite a series of meetings between the Federal Government and the striking doctors, no resolution has been reached.

    The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, had in the wake of the disagreements threatened to invoke the “no-work, no pay” rule on NARD.

    But the NMA has thrown its weight behind the striking doctors and other health workers.

    “The Nigerian Medical Association fully supports all her affiliates in their efforts to improve the healthcare delivery in Nigeria and the welfare of her members,” it assured.

  • BBNaija: Biggie issues Maria, Pere , JMK strike

    BBNaija: Biggie issues Maria, Pere , JMK strike

    Big Brother Naija, BBNaija housemates, Pere, Maria and JMK were stunned last night when they were issued a strike

    The housemates were given a strike for microphone infringement.

    Biggie played a clip showing where Maria was warned for microphone infringement.

    According to Article 19, which Biggie read, if any housemate tampers with microphone or damages it, Big Brother reserved the right to issue a strike or disqualify the housemate.

    The clip where she asked Pere to remove his microphone was among the videos played for the housemates on Monday night.

    Biggie said: “You have been warned against infringing on the rules of Biggie house, particularly regarding whispering and speaking in hush tones.

    “You are not supposed to remove your microphone or damage your microphone.

    “You have used several excuses to justify your actions, you seem to comprehend that what you’re doing is absolutely unacceptable.

    “Some days, it seems like some of you have chosen to intentionally flout the rules to be used as scape goats or test Big Brother’s patience.”