Wednesday, 28 August 2013
Federal health workers yesterday returned to their duty posts after reaching an agreement with the government on how to address their grievances prompting the suspension of their five days old strike.
Leaders of the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), had last Thursday directed members in the five unions that formed JOHESU to begin an indefinite strike until government addressed their grievances especially implementing the National Industrial Court, (NIC,) judgment delivered on Monday, July 22, 2013.
Both sides reached an agreement after a two-day meeting called by the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu, attended by Minister of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour, Head of Civil Service of the Federation, (HCSF), Alhaji Bukar Goni Aji, Dr. Clement Illoh among other Federal Government officials Presidents of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, Abdulwaheed Omar and Bobboi Kagaima and leaders of JOHESU.
According to the communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, deliberations were held in two categories, namely, non-implementation/status of implementation of agreed issues and matters referred to the National Industrial Court, NIC
The meeting agreed that the NIC ruling should be implemented in the absence of any order of stay of execution and constituted an implementation committee headed by the HCSF, with the following members: Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, one representative from each of the five unions comprising JOHESU, one representative of TUC, one representative of NLC, Chairman of Assembly of Health Care Professional Associations, Chairman, National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, Director -General, Budget Office and Director, HRM, Federal Ministry of Health.
