Joint Health Workers’ Union of Nigeria
(JOHESU) has called off the strike it
embarked upon on Wednesday, Aug. 21 to
push for improved welfare of the workers. The minister of Labour and Productivity,
Emeka Wogu announced this on Tuesday in
Abuja, after a 12 hour closed-door meeting
with the union leaders. He said the strike was suspended based on
an agreement reached between the Federal
Government and the union. “We have reached an understanding after a
lengthy deliberation which started
yesterday and we resumed at 8 O’clock in
the morning today. “We were able to reach an understanding
which has been signed and based on that
understanding the unions have agreed to
suspend the strike which was embarked
upon,“ he said. The President of JOHESU, Dr Ayuba Wabba,
said the union decided to suspend the
strike based on the agreement it had with
the federal government. “As enumerated by the Minister of Labour
and Productivity, the Joint Health Sector
Union as you are aware embarked on an
industrial action based on some grievances.
“Painstakingly we have looked at these
issues and through the process of
collective bargaining we have been able to
come to conclusion. “We on this side of the divide are convinced
that all the issues in dispute have been
addressed. “Arising from this agreement the industrial
action that we have embarked upon is
hereby suspended. “This is to give room to full implementation
of the agreement that has been signed
today,” he said. He expressed optimism that the demand of
the union would be met in the next two
weeks or one month agreed upon by the
two parties. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports
that at the end of the meeting, a five-page
Memorandum of Understanding was signed
by the federal government and
representatives of the unions. Issues deliberated upon included the
constitution of board of management of
Teaching Hospitals, retirement age and
implementation of 2008 Job Evaluation
Report. Others are: promotion from CONHESS 14 to
CONHESS 15 and constitution of a
presidential committee to see to the
implementation of the agreement. The meeting, which commenced at 10:00
a.m. after the Minister of Labour and
Productivity, Emeka Wogu, addressed
newsmen did not end until 9:00 p.m. on
Tuesday. The negotiation, which commenced on
Monday, Aug. 26, ended inconclusively,
while Wogu promised that the parties would
reconvene on Tuesday, Aug. 27, by 8:00a.m. In attendance at the meeting were: Wogu;
Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi
Chukwu; President, Nigeria Labour Congress
(NLC) Abdulwaheed Omar; TUC President,
Bala Kaigama; President of JOHESU, Wabba;
and other representatives of JOHESU. JOHESU had proceeded on an indefinite
strike action from 12 midnight of
Wednesday, Aug. 21, following inability of
federal government to resolve some issues
between it and health workers. [NAN]
(JOHESU) has called off the strike it
embarked upon on Wednesday, Aug. 21 to
push for improved welfare of the workers. The minister of Labour and Productivity,
Emeka Wogu announced this on Tuesday in
Abuja, after a 12 hour closed-door meeting
with the union leaders. He said the strike was suspended based on
an agreement reached between the Federal
Government and the union. “We have reached an understanding after a
lengthy deliberation which started
yesterday and we resumed at 8 O’clock in
the morning today. “We were able to reach an understanding
which has been signed and based on that
understanding the unions have agreed to
suspend the strike which was embarked
upon,“ he said. The President of JOHESU, Dr Ayuba Wabba,
said the union decided to suspend the
strike based on the agreement it had with
the federal government. “As enumerated by the Minister of Labour
and Productivity, the Joint Health Sector
Union as you are aware embarked on an
industrial action based on some grievances.
“Painstakingly we have looked at these
issues and through the process of
collective bargaining we have been able to
come to conclusion. “We on this side of the divide are convinced
that all the issues in dispute have been
addressed. “Arising from this agreement the industrial
action that we have embarked upon is
hereby suspended. “This is to give room to full implementation
of the agreement that has been signed
today,” he said. He expressed optimism that the demand of
the union would be met in the next two
weeks or one month agreed upon by the
two parties. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports
that at the end of the meeting, a five-page
Memorandum of Understanding was signed
by the federal government and
representatives of the unions. Issues deliberated upon included the
constitution of board of management of
Teaching Hospitals, retirement age and
implementation of 2008 Job Evaluation
Report. Others are: promotion from CONHESS 14 to
CONHESS 15 and constitution of a
presidential committee to see to the
implementation of the agreement. The meeting, which commenced at 10:00
a.m. after the Minister of Labour and
Productivity, Emeka Wogu, addressed
newsmen did not end until 9:00 p.m. on
Tuesday. The negotiation, which commenced on
Monday, Aug. 26, ended inconclusively,
while Wogu promised that the parties would
reconvene on Tuesday, Aug. 27, by 8:00a.m. In attendance at the meeting were: Wogu;
Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi
Chukwu; President, Nigeria Labour Congress
(NLC) Abdulwaheed Omar; TUC President,
Bala Kaigama; President of JOHESU, Wabba;
and other representatives of JOHESU. JOHESU had proceeded on an indefinite
strike action from 12 midnight of
Wednesday, Aug. 21, following inability of
federal government to resolve some issues
between it and health workers. [NAN]
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