Nigerian health workers under the umbrella of Joint Health Sector Union, JOHESU, have rejected pleas from the Senate asking them to suspend their nationwide strike.
Appearing before Senate Committee on Health, JOHESU chairman, Comrade Biobelemoye Joseph politely turned down appeals from lawmakers for them to terminate their strike.
The Senate panel led by Senator Lanre Tejuosho had pleaded with the health workers to suspend their current strike to enable them reach out to the executive on the matter.
However,the health workers roundly rejected the appeal on the grounds that they had given government sufficient time. The workers said even when the union issued a 21-day ultimatum, government failed to respond, pointing out that the decision to call off the strike rested solely on members spread across the country and that it would take two weeks to secure their approval.
The health workers said they embarked on strike after it became obvious that government was not ready to respect the agreement it reached with them since September 2017.
The union of health workers embarked on a nationwide strike last week, asking government to settle salary arrears totalling N22 billion.
The strike has taken a toll on the health sector, paralysing activities in federal government hospitals across the country.
JOHESU said its confidence in the entire system had even been eroded after the leadership of the Senate failed to respond to all of its three letters.
It, however, said they could consider the appeal to suspend the strike if government was willing to immediately pay one month out of the outstanding arrears of one year.
Not able to secure any compromise, the lawmakers called for close session with the health workers, hoping to secure the level of understanding they failed to achieve in open deliberations.
By: Okechukwu Jombo
Nigerian Pilot News
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