• Striking health workers protest unpaid December salary in Lagos

 

NO fewer than 1,000 health workers in Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) yesterday took to the streets in protest of their unpaid December salary.

 

  The protesters, under the aegis of Joint Health Sector Workers Union (JOHESU), LASUTH branch, complained of hunger and hardship the unpaid salary has caused them and their families during the festive season.

 

  The workers, majority of who are middle-aged women, had downed tools in the last six weeks in solidarity with JOHESU national body.

 

  While they disclaimed that the “No work, no pay” policy of the state government applied to their case, they could not explain why LASUTH management has taken to selective payment of the December salaries to their members.

 

  Raising banners of protest, nurses, pharmacists, laboratory technicians, mid-wives among others, matched from the LASUTH complex down to the Office of the Head of Service at the Lagos Secretariat, chanting solidarity songs.

 

  On their banners were inscriptions like: “Free LASUTH workers from slavery”; “Pay us our right”; “Payment of Teaching Hospital Salary Scale” and “Incompetent LASUTH Management must go”, among others.

 

 

  Chairman of the union and leader of the protest Rasheed Bamise noted that only about 10 per cent of their members, numbering about 300, out of the 3,000 work force, were paid for the month of December while the rest were left out. It was gathered that the 300 paid workers were those that worked during the period while others were denied pay in accordance with the State’s “no work, no pay” policy.

 

  Bamise, however, argued that they were members of a union (JOHESU) that had complied with the directive of the national body to embark on a strike.

 

  According to him: “You are aware that we didn’t join the national strike until some weeks ago. It was at the directive of the national body that we did so. We are a union, and not professional body that are not allowed to go on strike. All other members of JOHESU in other states had been paid. Why not us in Lagos?” he demanded.

 

  It would be recalled that JOHESU had embarked on a nationwide strike in the last six-months in protest against discriminatory practices in the health sector and non-implementation of standard industrial practices.

 

  A member of the group, who identified himself as Kehinde, said it was difficult going without the December salary. Worst still, she has to pay school fees in a matter of days. She appealed to the state government to wade into the matter and compel LASUTH management to pay their salary.

 

  Some of the protesters alleged that the LASUTH management deliberately withheld their salary having collected it from the state government. 

 

  “That is our grouse and the reason we decided to come to the Head of Service,” they said.

 

  After about an hour’s wait in the sun, the Lagos Head of Service, Josephine Williams appeared to the protesters with soothing words of understanding, though insisting that the striking workers must help themselves to get paid.

 

  Williams sympathized with them for the withheld salary, throwing the matter back to the workers to help her find solution to the problem. For those still in doubt, she stressed that the ‘No work, no pay’ policy applied to the case and for as long as they remain on strike, they would not get paid.

 

  Though the response did not suit the expectations of the striking workers who had expected immediate payment of their salaries, the Head of Service added that their grievances would be presented to the Executive Council meeting on Monday for a decision.

 

by Wole Oyebade