Striking health workers at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital on Thursday vowed to continue with their three-month-old strike until their demands are met.
Kehinde Adegoke, the LUTH Chapter Chairman, Senior Staff Association of Universities Teaching Hospitals, Research and Allied Institutes, announced this in Lagos.
Adegoke said: “The management claimed that from Accountant-General’s office, they are no longer paying uniform allowance.
“That government said that they were no longer paying uniform allowance.
“If you say that you are not going to pay again, pay that which has been there on the ground.
“That is what we are demanding for and that is where our members are standing.
“So, we hope today (Thursday) that the NANNM executive will be able to collate how many of their members are yet to get, because in the health sector, uniform allowance is only applicable to the nurses.
“We are tired of promises upon promises by LUTH management, which have not yielded any positive result.”
Asdegoke spoke on the outcome of Wednesday’s meeting between the management and the leaders of Joint House Unions and Associations.
The workers, at the end of the meeting, staged a peaceful protest within the hospital premises to register their grievances.
Adegoke said that since both sides had failed to reach any compromise, the health workers would continue with the strike which began on December 30.
The health workers had come together under the aegis of JHUA to address common problems and demand for better welfare.
Healthcare services at LUTH on Thursday remained paralysed as the workers continued with the strike in spite of the management’s plea that they should suspend their industrial action.
JHUA comprises the Medical and Health Workers Union and SSAUTHRAI.
Other associations involved in the strike are the Non-Academic Staff Union and the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives.
Adegoke said: “We have given various notices and we have had meetings with promises upon promises being made.
“One of our problems is the issue of overtime.
“The chief executive had said that he was not approving any more overtime.
“Meanwhile, workers had already spent three months without salary.
“Some people got one month, some got two, some got three, because the director of staff administration stopped collecting overtime schedules.”
He said that other grievances include nonpayment of salary increments, refusal to promote officers and lack of promotions for certain members of staff who met the requirements.
Adegoke said that among the nurses, 89 people went for the last promotion and only 10 were actually promoted.
He added: “The nurses are overworked because of the inadequate manpower.
“In the wards, we have a ratio of 1:16 attending to patients, which ideally ought to be 1:4.”
Adegoke said that the workers remained resolute on their demands since Prof. Akin Osibogun would complete his tenure as LUTH Chief Medical Director in October.
When contacted, Osibogun told NAN that the management had already granted 90 per cent of the workers’ requests.
He appealed to the striking workers to allow good reason to prevail in the interest of the patients.
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