Posted on: Tue 16-05-2023

The fragile peace in the nation’s healthcare system may be threatened as the Joint Health Sector Unions, JOHESU and Assembly of Healthcare Professional Associations, AHPA, weekend issued a 15-day ultimatum to the Federal Government beginning from May 10, 2023.In a letter dated May 9, and addressed to the Minister of Health,  Dr Osagie Ehanire, the Unions said the Federal government continued to ignore their demands for a long time.  

The letter titled ‘Notice Of 15 Days Strike Ultimatum’ was signed by Comrade Mathew Ajorutu, JOHESU’s acting national secretary on behalf of the national chairman.

Ajorutu said the ultimatum will take effect from Wednesday, May 10 and expire by midnight of Wednesday, May 24, 2023.

He lamented that the major demands of the two Unions had been ignored so for long to provoke the ultimatum.

He lusted the demands to include the adjustment of Consolidated Health Salary Structure,  CONHESS, as agreed in terms of the settlement, TOS, of  September 30, 2017, but has lingered since January 2, 2014); the payment of peculiar allowance to health workers under the aegis of JOHESU/AHPA; the immediate and unconditional implementation of the Consultant Cadre circular of Pharmacist in all federal health institutions (FHIs); and the payment of all withheld salaries of JOHESU/AHPA members in Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Owerri, the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) and their withheld April and May 2018 salaries.

Others are the speedy adjustment of Retirement Age from 60 to 65 years; the exclusion of some health workers in the payment of new hazard allowance and the payment of COVID-19 Allowance balance.

He said they are compelled to issue the ultimatum to press for the age-long demands and other contemporary ones.

“If the Federal Government does not stick to tenets of due process spelt in the agreement’s rules of engagement since the commencement of negotiations on the Adjustment of CONHESS as was done for the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) and the other lingering demands, within the 15-day window.  

“It would be clear that it is the Federal Government that should be held responsible for the fall-outs of a possible strike.”

They further accused the Federal Government of displaying inconsistencies in the ongoing negotiations about the Adjustment of CONHESS.

“In particular, we note with dismay, the tendencies of the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) to shift from agreed terms and rules of our engagement which had emphasised non-discrimination on whatever basis in the determination of the wages and benefit packages of health workers in Nigeria.”

JOHESU said recent communication from the FMoH attempted to sabotage the laudable report of the Technical Committee on the Adjustment of CONHESS as was done for the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS), by claiming its implementation would distort existing CONMESS relativity with CONHESS.  

They further clarified that: “For the records, the membership of the Technical Committee had representations from the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment (FML&E), Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), Office of the Head of Service of the Federation, Budget Office, JOHESU/AHPA, FMoH & National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC).  

“The NSIWC Executive Chairman was Head of the Technical Committee because of the perceived expertise in matters related to income, wages, salaries and compensation.”

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