Public healthcare workers under the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) have given the Federal Government a 15-day ultimatum to address their outstanding grievances or face another round of industrial action.
In a memo signed by the union’s national chairman and secretary, JOHESU highlighted that their demands, unmet since June 2023, still linger despite promises from President Bola Tinubu to intervene.
JOHESU’s demands include the payment of COVID-19 hazard allowances, tax waivers on healthcare workers’ allowances, and suspension of the establishment of a new agency to regulate national health facilities.
Other key issues are the adjustment of the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS), the creation of a consultant cadre for pharmacists, an upward review of the retirement age for health workers, and payments owed to JOHESU members in professional regulatory councils.
The union warned that its members would embark on a seven-day strike beginning on October 25, 2024, if their demands are not met.
JOHESU emphasized its history of maturity and patriotism in handling these disputes, stating that these qualities have been taken for granted by the government.