Aggrieved health workers at the FMC Abeokuta have proceeded on strike over the alleged failure of the management to promote their members from the cadre of Assistant Director to Director.

 

Speaking on the rationale behind the strike, Ogun State Chairman, Senior Staff Association, Comrade Samuel Idowu, who is also the leader of the FMC, Abeokuta Joint Health Sector Union, JOHESU, and the Public Relations Officer of JOHESU, Taiwo Tiamiyu, said the management refused to shift ground on the promotion issue.

Idowu, who described the strike as total and indefinite, lamented that his members who were supposed to be promoted from level 14, Assistant Directors cadre, to level 15 , Directors, had stagnated for years. "There is a circular from the Federal Ministry of Health instructing CMDs and the MDs to promote members of staff from level 14 to 15, Assistant Director to Director", he stated.

 

"The situation is that the strike is in full force. The compliance is hundred percent by our members. What gave rise to the situation is the penchant of the CMDs and MDs of Teaching Hospitals and Federal Medical Centers to disregard agreements reached with the unions. So, what is playing out here is what we are also experiencing at the national level. This is only a unit of what operates at the national level.

 

"We have been on this issue since 2010, the issue of skipping that our members are not allowed to do. We continued engaging them in meetings and it went to the level that the Secretary to the Government of the Federation had to wade in. I feel at that level, government was expressing its sincerity to listen to us. But, the disposition of the CMDs and the Ministry of Health in particular on this issue has been a source of worry, and that is why we are where we are today.

 

"We had given the management a-21 day ultimatum after which they called us for a meeting. They asked for two weeks extension which we gave. After the two weeks, they reneged on their promise. That prompted us to give another seven days ultimatum. By law, we should give them 15 days. But you can see that we had given them enough room to accede to our demand but they stood their ground. We have to take our destiny in our hands and embark on an indefinite strike".

 

Present at the deadlocked meetings were the Medical Director, Dr. Oladapo Sotiloye ; Head of Clinical Services, Dr. Cynthia Akinsanya; Assistant Director for Nursing Services, Mrs. Deborah Adesina, and Assistant Director for Works and Maintenance, Engr. Olusola Johnson, while the delegation of JOHESU union was led by Idowu; Taiwo; Fagbohun Abosede, the representative of NANNM; Lateef Rahman, the NAAP Chairman; and Aboaba Adekunle.