The Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP) has
demanded the immediate payment of the seven-month arrears of the 2024 pay rise.
The demand is contained in a communique issued on Tuesday at
the end of the national executive council (NEC) meeting of NUAHP and Joint
Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) held in Jos, Plateau state.
Kamal Ibrahim and Martin Egbanubi, national president and
general secretary of NUAHP, respectively, jointly signed the communique.
Members under the NUAHP include the pharmacists,
physiotherapists, medical laboratory scientists, imaging scientists, and dental
technologists.
Others are occupational therapists, health information
management practitioners, dental therapists, dietitians, and other related
health professionals.
The union leaders said the NEC was dissatisfied with the
delay in the implementation of the 25 percent and 35 percent review of the
consolidated health salary structure (CONHESS).
“The NEC-in-session was particularly worried about the seven
months’ arrears (June 2023 to December 2023) of the 25 percent and 35 percent
CONHESS in spite of being captured in the 2024 budget and now in the 2025
budget,” the communique reads.
“NEC describes the delay in the payment as unacceptable and
considers it a violation of item five of the FG-JOHESU Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) on 29th October 2024 and the resolution reached on 20th
December 2024, respectively.
“NEC therefore demands for the payment of these arrears
without further delay to avert industrial action.”
The unions said, despite the signing of a memorandum of
understanding (MoU) between the federal government and JOHESU on October 29,
2024, after the suspension of the union’s nationwide strike, the government had
yet to fulfil its obligations contained in the agreement.
They urged the government to consider the implications of
resuming the suspended strike action in the health sector and the nation in
general if it failed to urgently address the matter.
“NEC calls on President Bola Tinubu to honour his promise to
JOHESU by directing relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and
other organs of the federal government to expeditiously deal with this matter
for sustainable industrial harmony and in the public interest,” the unions
said.
The unions also urged the government, at all levels, to
implement tax reductions on clinical allowances like call duty, shift duty, and
teaching to cushion the effects of the high cost of living on the livelihood of
health workers.
They appealed for the payment of the retention allowance as
an incentive to motivate healthcare professionals who chose to stay back in the
country.
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com