THE Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) has instructed members across the state and local government health facilities in Kano State to suspend work effective from yesterday in total compliance with the ongoing nationwide industrial action of the union.

 

JOHESU, an assembly of health care professionals, excluding the medical doctors, had since 12th of November, 2014 downed tools across federal and state health facilities but with exception of members at states and local governments hospitals in the north due to the influx of victims of insurgency attacks seeking medical care.

 

A statement jointly signed by JOHESU Kano Chairman Bello Said and Secretary Kabir Ado Minjiibir read, “the leadership of the union, in the state met on 24th December, 2014 and resolved to join the industrial action after assessing the hospitals where majority of the victims of insurgency attacks have been discharged.”

 

Citing Federal Government refusal to fully implement agreement voluntarily pledged to oblige and flagrant disregard of government to honor national industrial court injunction, delivered July 22, 2013, the joint health sector unions JOHESU said the union had to resorted to last option, a full scale industrial action to press home their demands.

 

 

According to the state, the union expressed regret that instead of demonstrating significant commitment and alternative means of finding lasting solution to the lingering issues, federal government has resorted to threatening and intimidating members of the union, a scenario, capable of further worsen the health care system.

 

The union insisted that government threat of invocation of “no work no pay” against its members” is illegal and holds no water whatsoever and that would not deterred us from seeking their our due right.”

 

“The Federal Government of Nigeria is a signatory to the ILO Conventions 87 & 98 which guarantee freedom of association and right to collective bargaining for trade union and which have both been domesticated in our labor laws. 

 

The Trade Unions Act (2005) is quite explicit and unambiguous in enshrining the respect for disputes of right, where and when trade union embark on industrial action in the situations where collective agreements are violated by the employers,” JOHESU lamented.

 

The union called on Nigerians to prevail on Federal Government to resolve the impasse while respecting the agreement signed with the health workers, until the then, the worker insisted would remain at home.