Ogun teaching hospital workers threaten strike over N2billion arrears

Workers under the aegis of Joint Health Sector Unions ,JOHESU, of the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, Ogun State, on Wednesday warned of possible industrial action in the state-owned tertiary health institution if the state government failed to offset the over N2bn it owes the staff.

The body, which comprises the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives,NANNM, Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria,MHWUN, Senior Staff Association,SSA, and Non-Academic Staff Union,NASU, issued a three-day ultimatum to the state government to off-set the debt.

While making the declaration on Wednesday, the Chairman of JOHESU, Comrade Abiodun Ojabello, disclosed that the debt include, March 2011 salary deductions, 17 months Consolidated Tertiary Institution Salary Scale(CONTISS) arrears, 13 months Consolidated Health Salary Scale (CONHESS) arrears and the contributory pension scheme.

He said, “The government of Ogun State should consider the peculiarity of the teaching hospital and improve upon the finances viz-a-viz the agitation of the workers to bring back an enabling environment where workers will go about their God-fearing and life-saving services in the right psychological state and frame of mind.

“The Ogun State Government owes OOUTH workers a whopping outstanding debt of over N2bn which we believe is long overdue and we are ever ready to ask for our legitimate entitlement. We appeal to all well-meaning Ogun indigenes to quickly intervene to prevent hardship on our patients.”

He added that “Despite the fact that OOUTH workers are being deprived of their legitimate entitlement, they are being overworked. The international minimum standard in nursing practice is a nurse to four patients but here in OOUTH, one nurse attends to 20 patients and only God knows what happens to such a worker.”

The state government, he further said, had shirked in its responsibility regarding its contributions to the pension scheme despite making deductions from the workers’ salaries.