JOHESU wants FG to redeem pledges

The Joint Health Sector Union, Federal Medical Centre, Owo chapter, on Monday called on the Federal Government to redeem its pledge of implementing all agreements between them.
Olusola Adediji, the Chairman of JOHESU, FMC, Owo, Ondo State, made the appeal during a peaceful protest to remind the government on its commitment.
The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that JOHESU had issued 7-day ultimatum to the federal government, effective from Jan. 4, to address its listed demands, including the payment of withheld April and May 2018 salaries.
Other demands of the union were upward adjustment of CONHESS Salary Structure and headship of hospital departments.
JOHESU is also asking for the implementation of consultancy cadre for its members and withdrawal of punitive actions against its members at Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, and Jos University Teaching Hospital.
However, the union explained that these demands were outside the ones under the Alternative Dispute Resolution.
Adediji, who led other health workers on the peaceful protest, said the protest was designed to give final warning to government to do the needful and avoid disruption of services.
He said: “Following the strike that JOHESU embarked upon last year April/May 2018, the Minister of Health decided to implement no-work-no-pay rule which is at variance with labour law.
“We have exhausted all avenues for dialogue but the minister wouldn’t yield to our request.
“The motive is to cry out to the whole world and the good people of this country to appeal to him to pay our two months salaries before we embark on an indefinite strike.”
Olawale Oke, the Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association, Ondo State, urged the government to pay the JOHESU members their salaries.
In an interview with NAN, Oke noted that “if FG could reverse the no-work-no-pay policy for members of ASUU, the same should be done to JOHESU because we are under one government’’.