Strike: FG moves to compel health workers’ resumption

No pay for striking workers – Minister

The Minister of Health Professor Isaac Adewole has directed Governing Boards of federal tertiary health institutions to convene emergency meetings of boards and order back to work striking health workers.

He gave the directive during an emergency meeting with Chief Medical Directors and Medical Directors of tertiary hospitals yesterday in Abuja.

The Minister said anyone who failed to resume would be considered to have absconded from duty without leave, “a serious misconduct in line with the Public Service rule 030413.”

He said anyone who participated in the strike would not be paid for the period of the strike even if the strike was called off.

He said, “The clinics must run, theatres must be opened, there is no reason why they should lock your theatre. No one has the right to lock up government hospitals.”

Meanwhile, leaders of the Joint Health Sector Unions ( JOHESU) said that they are hopeful that the intervention of Senate President Bukola Saraki would lead to a resolution of the strike.

National Chairman of JOHESU, Biobelemoye Joy Josiah and other leaders of the union disclosed this yesterday evening after a meeting of the union leaders with Saraki.

The union had summoned an emergency consultation meeting of all state and zonal leaders on Sunday and yesterday to deliberate on the strike following its receipt of an order of interim injunction to end the strike by the National Industrial Court last Friday.

During a rally organised earlier in the day, national chairman of JOHESU, Joy Josiah had told the leaders and delegates of the union to vote for or against the continuation of the strike on the grounds of intimidation, fear of starvation and court orders.

No one said yes to end the strike but all shouted a thunderous yes to continuing the strike.