Medical workers begin strike next week

Medical services and other activities will be totally paralysed in government hospitals across the country as from next week, as all the five trade unions in the health sector will commence strike on Wednesday.

The five unions, under the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) and Assembly of Healthcare Professional Associations (AHPA) declared yesterday that they would down tools as from midnight on Wednesday, if government failed to meet their demands.

Addressing a press conference in Abuja, the unions said agreements were reached on the issues in contention, which concerned their members, since 10th May, 2012.

The National Chairman of JOHESU and President of Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), Comrade Biobelemoye Joy Josiah said the unions had resolved to shut down health facilities nationwide should the Federal Government failed to address its demands within the next seven days.

Comrade Josiah said: “This press conference is intended to inform Nigerians of our intention to down tools as from the midnight of Wednesday 20th September, 2017 if all our demands over which we have been negotiating since 2012, are not met.”

The unions involved in the proposed strike are Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Senior Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes and Associated Institutions (SSAUTHRIAM), Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP) and Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutes (NASU).