The supremacy battle between doctors and Joint Health Sector Unions deepened on Sunday with the JOHESU calling on the Nigerian Medical Association to suspend its ongoing strike or face action at the National Industrial Court.

 

While describing the doctors’ strike as illegal, JOHESU premised its threat to seek redress at NIC on the fact that the NMA, it’s Allied Associations and Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria are not trade unions and should therefore not go on strike.

 

The General Secretary of National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, Mr. W.G. Yusuf-Badmus, stated these in a communique issued on behalf of JOHESU and Assembly of Health Professionals Association at the end of their meeting in Abuja.

 

They also raised the alarm over pressure being mounted on government “either to distort facts or suspend important existing circulars meant for other health professionals to pacify the striking doctors.”

 

The communique stated, “Should such discrimination occur against other health professionals, the situation in the health sector will become more complicated and uncontrollable. We condemn the attitude of NMA and MDCAN for embarking on strike simply because Federal Government agreed to implement legitimate agreements and memorandum of understanding between JOHESU/AHPA and Federal Government spanning between 2009 till date.

 

“We see the strike by NMA and MDCAN as illegal, unnecessary and callous and therefore, call on the leadership to suspend its strike without further delay, more so, that NMA and its allied associations are not registered trade unions and should not have embarked on the strike since they lack legitimacy to embark on industrial action.

 

“JOHESU/AHPA leadership has therefore, resolved to drag NMA and its allied Associations to the National Industrial Court for embarking on strike without being a registered trade union.”