Contrary to claims by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, that nurses in public hospitals have suspended their warning strike, the nurses have dissociated themselves from the statement, insisting that the strike is still ongoing.
Speaking on behalf of the union, the National Public Relations Officer of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, Federal Health Institutions sector (NANNM-FHI), Omomo Tibiebi, clarified that the industrial action, which commenced last Wednesday, is yet to be suspended.
“The strike has not been suspended,” Tibiebi said. “Earlier today, NANNM executives held a meeting with the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, and it was the minister who went to the press to claim the strike had been called off.
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“But he wasn’t the one who called the strike in the first place, so he has no right to declare it suspended. The strike is still on.”
He further disclosed that the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) would convene on Saturday to assess the Federal Government’s offers and decide the next line of action.
“There will be a NEC meeting tomorrow (Saturday), and that’s when a decision will be made. We will then determine if what the Federal Government has promised is sufficient for us to suspend the strike,” he added.
The nurses embarked on the warning strike last Wednesday to press for several demands, including an upward review of shift allowances, adjustment of uniform allowances, and the establishment of a distinct salary structure for nurses.
Other demands include an increase in core duty allowance, mass recruitment of nurses, and the creation of a dedicated nursing department within the Federal Ministry of Health.