Lagos health workers suspend strike for 4 weeks

The Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP) has suspended its indefinite strike in Lagos for four weeks.

The Acting Chairman of NUAHP in the Lagos State Public Service, Mr. Sode Adegbenro, who confirmed the development to journalists on Friday in Lagos, urged the state government to uphold all agreements signed by both parties.

The union members in the state public service cut across health workers in the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), all General Hospitals, and Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in the state.

Adegbenro said NUAHP suspended the strike to allow the state government to address the seven-point demands presented by the union.

He, however, noted that the strike would resume after four weeks if the government reneges on implementation of the agreements.

The chairman said: “On May 25, we held a meeting with the representatives of the government at the state Ministry of Establishment, agreements were reached and both parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

“The union held a congress on May 26 to review the outcome of the meeting and agreements signed with the state government.

“We decided to empathise with the patients and considering the prevailing economic situation of the country, we reached a consensus to suspend the strike for four weeks.

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“This is to reduce the stress being experienced by patients who are seeking treatment at various health facilities and to enable the government actualise the agreements within a specified timeline.

“The strike was suspended on Monday evening and all our members are back at their duty posts.”

The government, according to him, agreed to pay the hazard allowance and its arrears as well as domestication of the consultancy pharmacy cadre in the next two weeks.

He said the government also agreed to a four-week timeline for the implementation of the remaining five demands presented by the union.

NUAHP had on May 25 directed its members to begin an indefinite strike nationwide over irreconcilable differences between the union and the Federal Government.

The Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) had earlier given the federal government a 15-day strike ultimatum to address its demands.

The union embarked on an indefinite nationwide strike on May 25 over the non-implementation of collectively bargained agreements, especially, the issue of Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) and others.

NUAHP then directed states with unresolved trade disputes and outstanding demands to immediately join the strike.

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