The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has condemned the federal government’s decision to stop the salaries of striking members of the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) under the “no work, no pay” policy.
On January 9, the federal ministry of health issued a ‘no
work, no pay’ directive to all chief medical directors (CMD) and medical
directors (MD) of the federal government’s hospitals, targeting striking
members of the JOHESU.
NAN reports that in a statement issued on Wednesday in
Abuja, Festus Osifo, TUC president, described the action as provocative and a
violation of established industrial relations principles.
Osifo faulted a circular from the federal ministry of health
directing the stoppage of salaries through the Integrated Payroll and Personnel
Information System (IPPIS), saying it was reckless and amounted to intimidation
of health workers.
“This circular is not policy but intimidation, and Congress
will not accept negotiating with workers while punishment is simultaneously
unleashed on them,” the statement reads.
“The stoppage of salaries of health workers who save lives
daily is wicked, insensitive and unpatriotic, especially amid worsening
economic hardship.”
The TUC president said the action undermined ongoing
negotiations between the government and organised labour, adding that dialogue
could not coexist with punitive measures.
According to him, health workers have continued to sustain
the healthcare system despite poor working conditions and should not be
punished for systemic failures.
Osifo also described the salary stoppage as insensitive and
capable of worsening hardship at a time of rising inflation and petrol pump
prices.
He said the use of integrated personnel and payroll
information system (IPPIS) to withhold workers’ pay amounted to an abuse of
state machinery and would be resisted by organised labour.
The TUC president said Nigerian workers have historically
resisted threats and hunger, noting that intimidation will not lead to
submission.
Osifo demanded the immediate withdrawal of the circular and
the unconditional restoration of all affected salaries.
He also called on the ministry of health to return to
negotiations within seven days to avert industrial unrest, warning that failure
to do so would compel the TUC to mobilise workers nationwide for decisive
collective action.
He added that responsibility for any disruption of services
would rest on the ministry for choosing confrontation over dialogue, noting
that all TUC affiliates, state councils and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)
council had been placed on red alert.
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