We’ll not negotiate with FG if doctors are involved — JOHESU, AHPA

• Give govt Dec. 31 to pay withheld salary

Health workers under the auspices of Joint Health Sector Unions and the Assembly of Healthcare Professionals, JOHESU/AHPA, weekend threatened to boycott any negotiation brokered by the Federal Ministry of Health, FMOH, if physicians are involved in the welfare initiatives.

Also, the workers urged the Federal Government to pay withheld April and May 2018 salaries to its members before December 31, 2021, in the spirit of the yuletide.

In a letter addressed to the FMOH with reference number HQ/JOHESU/ADM/FMoH/VOL.IIT/045, dated 16th December 2021 and signed by the Action National Secretary, Comrade Mathew Ajorutu on behalf of the Chairman, claimed that two prominent physicians, the Director of Hospital Services his predecessor have continued to effectively truncate the demand for adjustment of Consolidated Healthcare Salary Structure, CONHESS.

“For several years, the FMoH has championed the basis for the devaluation of our basic humanity and citizenship rights by unleashing a series of assaults on our collective intelligence through its tainted and biased policies designed to deny self-actualisation for members of JOHESU/AHPA.

“”We shall no longer allow this with due respect. JOHESU/AHPA resolved albeit strongly that in view of the unending cycle of frustration orchestrated by the Directorate of Hospital Services which is dominated by Physicians and logically the mouthpiece of the NMA, that it would no longer attend negotiation brokered by the FMOH if physicians are involved in the negotiations of the welfare initiatives of members of JOHESU/AHPA,” they stated.

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They further alerted that the incumbent Director of Hospital Services of the FMoH has continued in a similar spirit to jeopardise the on-going negotiations on the same subject matter.

JOHESU/AHPA resolved to participate in future negotiations only if the appropriate teams are raised from the Director of Human Resources, DHR, of the FMOH with necessary additions from the Legal Services Department.

They further insisted that all health professionals on such teams must be non-physicians because JOHESU members are never part of negotiating teams at FG- NMA/NARD parleys.

The letter tagged: Complaint on procedural defects in the negotiating team of the federal ministry of health at JOHESU- FG’s Parleys, added that in the interest of industrial harmony,

They further demanded that the Directorate of Human Resources and the Directorate of Legal Services negotiate personnel matters and get legal direction when necessary.

They argued that members of JOHESU/AHPA are not represented in negotiations for benefit packages for members of NMA, NARD and other related appendages which appear fair enough.

Calling on the government to pay the withheld salaries, they also encouraged the Government to allow the implementation of the payment of Hazard Allowance commences as an integral part of the December 2021 wages of health workers.

Vanguard