Health workers protest in Lagos, vow to embark on industrial action soon

Health workers across the nation under the aegis of the National Union of Allied Health Professionals (NAUHP) on Thursday converged in Lagos to protest over the non-implementation of several agreements bargained with the federal government.

The protest which began from the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) terminated at the State Government Secretariat in Alausa.

The protesters who chanted as they made their way to the Secretariat to press home their grievances, bore various inscriptions on their placards some of which read, ‘Federal Ministry of Health is not healthy’, ‘Implement the national health act now’, ‘Respect Rule of Law’, ‘Adjust CONHESS salary structure now’, ‘Decree 10, 1985 is obsolete, amend it now’, ‘Corruption lives on federal ministry of health’ among others.

Speaking the National President of NAUHP, Comrade (Dr) Ogbonna Obinna, who led members of the executive board from the body’s South West region as well as members of the Lagos State chapter, reiterated the demands of the apex body, stressing that the association may resort to a nationwide industrial action in the event the collective agreements reached with the federal government in 2009 are not heeded.

He said some of the collective agreements include the skipping of CONHESS 10 and payment of arrears in compliance with NICN judgement, the adjustment of the CONHESS salary structure, the revocation of the term stagnation referred to as promotion, the appointment of consultants and payment of specialist allowance, the appointment of CMDs/MDs of tertiary hospitals in accordance with the extant laws, the abolition of the position of DCMAC as well as granting professional autonomy to practitioners.

Ogbonna said the union had stayed its planned strike action due to its concern for the masses.

He, however, said that the union will commence a 21-day warning strike on the 27th of February if their demands are not meant.