JOHESU demands payment of withheld health workers salaries

The Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) has demanded for immediate payment of the salaries of its members withheld by the Federal Government following the nationwide strike by the medical workers in 2018.

The JOHESU, made the demand even as it rejected plans by the Federal Government to privatize public health institutions, insisting that it would further resist this move through all recognized Labour actions.

National chairman of JOHESU Comrade Joy Bioblemoye who spoke with Labour Today, after a three-day protest rally on the problems in the health sector in Abuja, blamed the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, for withholding the salaries of medical workers for the months of April and May 2018.

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Specifically, he warned that the workers would shut down the health sector again, should the government failed to pay the withheld salaries and address other problems after their protests.

While blaming the health minister, the JOHESU Chairman said his counterpart in the Ministry of Health, who also wanted to emulate Prof. Adewole in withholding the salaries of university workers after their long strike; has since rescinded the plan and paid them.

The health workers were on a three-day rally over their plights and other crisis in the health sector.

Comd. Biobelemoye said the challenges facing the health sector is high level corruption and lack of fair management in the system, especially by those at the helm of affairs who have been very bias in favour of a section against the others.

Comrade Bioblemoye disclosed that over 90 per cent of the Chief Medical Directors (CMDs) of public institutions have their private hospitals.

He called on President Muhammadu Buhari to quickly intervene in the matter and investigate it; adding that such practice leads to the rots in the system due to clash of interests.

The mass rally, according to his is to sensitised Nigerian public and government that the workers are not strike mongers, but want their rights to be respected.

Biobelemoye said: “We embarked on the protest rally to sensitize the general public of the happenings in the health sector. We want the world to know that the Minister of Health, Professor Adewale to respect court order and release our salaries for the months of April and May.

“While the court asked both parties not to do anything that can jeopardize the peace process, the minister went ahead to implement no work no pay”.

The JOHESU chairman told Nigerians to hold the minister responsible if anything go wrong in the health sector.