May consider strike, seek reinstatement of hospital administrators
Health and health care workers have urged President Muhammadu Buhari to include the Consolidated Adjusted Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) in the 2022 budget before giving his consent.

The workers, who spoke under the umbrella of the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) and the Assembly of Health Professional Associations (AHPA), said to do otherwise would precipitate industrial action.

JOHESU President Biobelemoye Josiah in Abuja yesterday warned that unions would not be able to secure social harmony in the health sector in the new year if the President did not include the structure adjusted salary.

“We expect Mr. President to treat us well because as a union we gave in to his demand to keep the health sector strike-free for the period. We have done our part. We expect that whatever games the Federal Department of Health is playing in trying to deprive us of our own rights, the President will have the power to order that committee work be included in the budget before he does not sign it.

“I want to take this opportunity to call on Nigerians to advocate on our behalf as we have been very patient. We have been very patriotic and we do not want a situation where all the efforts we have made to ensure peace in the health sector are in vain. If it is not budgeted for next year, the health sector will not be as peaceful as we have tried to keep it. »

He said the federal government should be ready for an all out strike if it does otherwise.

Josiah alleged that the unions knew there was an N80 billion provision set aside to deal with the salary adjustment of health workers.

He said the Federal Department of Health would be wrong to “divert” the fund for other purposes.

“At the height of our unrest, the Office of the President’s Chief of Staff also stepped in. We know that a provision of 80 billion naira has been set aside to deal with wage adjustment. We strongly believe that even though they have not specifically indicated that this amount is for the adjustment of CONHESS, I believe that there is already a provision, “he said.

He hinted that although the overdue payment is over N80 billion, he is ready to accept the figure to secure industrial peace in the healthcare sector in 2022.

On the adjustments to hazard pay, Josiah said the unions had accepted the federal government’s explanation, warning however that any attempt to favor one union over the other would be resisted.