By Samuel Ogenyi, Uyo
Health Workers in Akwa Ibom under the agencies of Joint Health Workers(JOHESU) has ignored the threats of sack by Akwa Ibom government for taking part in the indefinite strike declared by the union.
The state government had through a statement signed by the information commissioner Mr Charles Udoh on Wednesday warned that health workers not found in their duty post stood the risk of losing their jobs.
But our Correspondent who monitored some of the state owned health institutions yesterday reports that some of the health facilities were under lock and key while there was noticeable absence of health workers in others.
Some patients who spoke with our Correspondent expressed worry over the development but said they would make alternative arrangements for their treatment and medication.
Meanwhile JOHESU in a statement on Thursday called on members to ignore the threats describing the political labeling of their strike action by the information commissioner as propaganda and a ploy by government not to implement a new hazard allowance.
“We call on our members to ignore any propaganda and threat and to maintain the resolve to stay at home untill the issues are met by Akwa Ibom state government.” A statement endorsed by the chairmen of the five affliate health unions said.
Meanwhile the state chapter of the Nigerian Labour Congress(NLC) has said the strike action embarked upon by JOHESU remained legal even as it would continue to back the union in its efforts to secure improved welfare for its members.
State NLC Secretary Comrade Iboro Ibara while reacting to the government threat said that, “JOHESU is a trade union group vested with the rights to embark on Industrial action within the terms provided for by extant Trade Union laws” adding that the grievances over which the health workers went on strike have been on the discussion table for many years.
“As a matter of fact the current strike is a “resumed” strike. The current Government (and its predecessor) has at various times engaged the Unions on these issues up to the level of reaching agreement which it would subsequently fail to honour.
“Earlier this year during the new Minimum Wage negotiations, the State Minimum Wage Implementation Committee reached an agreement on the issue of CONHESS which the Government failed to implement even after it was acknowledged that Akwa Ibom nurses are the least paid nationwide.” Ibara said.
He regretted that the threats were coming after a meeting between JOHESU and the Chief of Staff to the Governor adding that threats from government has never been used to resolve industrial crisis.
“Just yesterday the COS to the Governor met with JOHESU!
Now, how would all this grammar and labelling of all the citizens as “political detractors” help? Sometime ago aged retired primary school teachers who took to the streets to protest nonpayment of their entitlements were cheekily labeled as saboteurs.
“We have barely recovered from the avoidable embarrassment a fortnight ago of Government’s ill-advised unilateral review of civil servants’ salary table, now this.
“Who, from the Federal Government to the States, has ever succeeded at managing industrial crisis with threats? Didn’t the striking workers issue notices? Hasn’t the Government held meetings with these same “unreasonable and unlawful” healthcare professionals in the past few weeks to plead?
“Should we assume that Government is unreasonable because if it were not it wouldn’t have met with “criminals” and “saboteurs” as it now describes JOHESU?”
He wondered why the information commissioner would label the strike as being influenced by an opposition political party.
“The Governor is doing his second and final term in office. The next election cycle is more than two years away. Akwa Ibom according to this same Commissioner for Information is a one-party State. So how can we be talking of “political detractors” over an industrial relations issue?
“Shouldn’t an informed Commissioner be worried that in the same health sector which he is bragging about some of personnel are paid 50% of their basic salary as Hazard Allowance while some are paid N3,500 flat rate which they were earning before the new hazard of the pandemic?” He quarreled.
