NAFDAC workers resolve to continue industrial action

The Federal Government yesterday sounded the alarm that the ongoing strike by health workers has made the country vulnerable to the killer Ebola Virus Diesease.

Minister of State and Supervising Minister of Health, Dr Khaliru Alhassan, stated this in Abuja while addressing journalists.

 

Health workers, under the auspices of the Joint Health Sector Unions, JOHESU, initially embarked on strike partially last month, but the leadership of the union ordered all members to join last week.

 

Alhassan said that through collective efforts of government, the health professionals and the citizenry, the Ebola virus was fought to a standstill.

 

The minister stressed that the world expected the country to sustain its Ebola-free status, but that the strike by the health workers had put the country at risk of a second outbreak of virus. Alhassan argued that government had played its part in the agreement reached with the union, but that the workers had refused to resume work.

 

According to him, many Nigerians would be coming home from abroad during the imminent Yuletide, and their absence at their duty posts could be dangerous.

But he said government had not relented in providing enough checks at the nation’s borders, to prevent importation of the virus.

 

His words: “JOHESU, we have been negotiating with them from day one. I have never refused any day to talk to them; we have been talking to them. And, we have made passionate appeal to them that if there is a way we can resolve the issue. If they are on strike, it is very difficult for the government, but, we still sit down and talk. We feel we will get result through continuous dialogue.

 

“We have made our point clear through the Chairman of the government negotiating team, Minister of Labour; this is the position of government as of now. We have, to the best of our ability, concluded all things that are supposed to be done by the Federal Ministry of Health. We are doing them, and we will continue to abide by our resolution.

 

“We are appealing to JOHESU members to come back. We are working, and we will continue to do that. But, for them to leave their place of work, it is putting a lot of stress on the system, especially our war against Ebola.

 

“We believe JOHESU members have important roles to play as members of the health team. So, keeping away from their duty posts is putting Nigeria at risk. I believe, as responsible Nigerians, regardless of our differences, we should put the interest of Nigeria first.

 

“I am still appealing JOHESU’s leadership to have a rethink and come back to their duty posts because this is the national duty they must do to ensure they protect Nigerians.”

 

In a related development, workers of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, who downed toold two weeks ago have resolved to continue with the strike until all their demands are met.

 

Briefing newsmen in Lagos yesterday, the Chairman, Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria, Federal Area Council, Mr. Stephen Ibeh, said that the workers will not return to work until all internal and external issues are resolved.

 

He expressed regret that the agency could not solve its internal salary problem, despite its role in safeguarding the health of the nation.

 

Ibeh condemned the present salary structure (Consolidated Research Institute Salary Structure, CONRISS) used by the agency, explaining that NAFDAC was not a research institute and therefore must be returned to CONHESS.

 

“We as a union are rejecting the CONRISS salary structure; we are asking that NAFDAC should be returned to CONHESS with all the allowances and entitlements,” he said.

 

The Sectary General, Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria, NAFDAC branch, Mr. Anzaku Peter Joseph, insisted that the management of agency has no reason for not acceding to their demands adding that the agency generates enough money to take care of staff welfare.

 

“We know what we do and how much we generate. Besides, our salary comes from CBN, so management cannot say they have no money. Thirteenth month is our privilege, the agency started paying under the tenure of the former Director-General, Prof. Dora Akunyili but recently, the management has defaulted,” he said.

 

He decried the non-availability of funds for training, workshops and conferences (both domestic and foreign), saying that some staff have to borrow money to go for training.

 

The striking workers are demanding the implementation of CONHESS; payment of productivity allowance known as 13th month salary; payment of promotion arrears of 2012 and 2013; payment of first 28 days to workers employed in 2009; skipping of CONHESS 10 and conversion of Higher National Diploma, HND, holders among others.

 

Meanwhile, the government of Japan yesterday donated personnel protective equipment numbering 1,850 to the Federal Government.

The country’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Ryuichi Shoji presented the items to the government in Abuja.

 

Shoji said Ebola outbreak was not just a regional health crisis in West Africa, but constituted a threat to peace and security of the international community as a whole. He stressed that the virus required sustainable and collective global action to contain.

 

He said: “Ebola-free will not be achieved without the successful containment of the disease in particular in the three West African countries and without effectively preventing the spread of the epidemic to other countries.

 

“This is why Japan since April has been providing assistance, be it financial, in kind, and personnel, to the affected countries. Once committed, Japan delivers.”