#JOHESU: Benue State University Teaching Hospital Resume Indefinite Strike

Posted on: Mon 05-06-2017

You would recall that the Benue State University Hospital Markurdi Chapter union embarked on an indefinite strike on the 6th of October, 2016 and suspended the strike on the 10th of October, 2016 following the intervention of the Honourable commissioner for Health and Human services, Benue state, the Nigeria labour congress and Trade union congress, Benue state councils.

In view of the suspension, the executive governor of Benue state, His Excellency Samuel Ortom constituted an Ad-hoc committee to look into the issues affecting the staff and faciliy(BSUTH).

The unions were adequately represented.

The committee sat, looked at the issues raised and produced a report which has been presented to the governor for several months without any course of action.

JOHESU, in her emergency expanded EXCO meeting held on Thursday 18th May, 2017 reviewed the situation following completion of the negotiation process and was convinced that, both the state government and BSUTH management have not shown the seriousness the issues raised deserve.

The expanded EXCO therefore resolved as contained in the communiques attached herein. When the demands were not met by the 24th of May, 2017 the unions Were left with no option than to resume it's suspended strike action on the 25th May, 2017 at 8:00am.

The expanded EXCO resolved that:

1. The State Government should implement holistically, the recommendations of the Adhoc Cornmittee's report especially, the provision of essential working tools (commodities) like water, electricity, dressing forceps etc and general rehabilitation of the decayed infrastructure.

2. The State Government should increase funding of the hospital by reviewing upwards the static allocation to the hospital of N13.7 Million since this could not even take care of the monthly emoluments of Staff not to talk of the out sourced services and promotions that are a yearly occurrence as well as restore the Overhead subvention to the hospital.

3. The State Government should give cash back up of the 2015 promotion as matter of urgent importance with effect from May, 2017 salary including the 16 Months arrears so far.

4. The Management of BSUTH should commence the implementation of the aspects of the Adhoc committee report that are their responsibility; like issuance of promotion letters to those who qualified for promotion, wrote the promotion examination and passed but were denied promotion on reasons the committee considered irrelevant and directed otherwise, those who automatically qualified for promotion by virtue of lowering the pass mark by 5% and correct the placement of those the committee referred to her to treat.

5. The Management of BSUTH should commence without further delay, the 2016 promotion exercise that was stalled as a result of the crisis generated by the 2015 promotion exarninations.

However, negotiations and meetings are also ongoing to ensure issues raised are solved.