…As KADMAM intervenes.
by Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
Kaduna State health workers’ union body says it is ready to call-off the six days’ old strike immediately it received any genuine and tangible commitment from Governor Uba Sani to meet its demands, in writing, even today.
The State Chairman, National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwife (NANNM), Comrade Ishaku Yakubu, disclosed this Monday in an interview at the end of dialogue meeting with Kaduna Maternal Accountability Mechanism (KADMAM), a coalition of CSOs working for improved healthcare service delivery for communities.
Comrade Yakubu, who was present along with leaders of two other sister health workers unions, said the dialogue meeting was called by KADMAM to interface with them on the ongoing indefinite strike action embarked upon by nurses, pharmacists and lab scientists in the state.
He said, “Today is the six day of the strike and, if you go round, you will discover that secondary and primary health facilities in the state are not functioning right now without the services of the 3 health workers’ body members.”
Yakubu said the demands made by the health workers unions include 30% balance of their 2009 countess, based on 2015 agreement, MoU entered by the State Government and health workers unions.
“Our colleagues in Barau Diko, who are 100% 2009 countess, are also demanding for improvement. They are demanding for 2019 countess; so, we are in the strike together.
“Then, there is a hazard allowance of 2021, which has not been implemented in Kaduna State for Ministry of Health but implemented in Barau Diko Teaching Hospital. So, those in the ministry of health are also demanding that the hazard allowance be implemented for them.
“We also have some of our colleagues employed in April, 2023, and were not paid until February 2024. So, they have 8 months’ salary arrears. So, we are also in solidarity with them for government to pay them.
“These are the reasons for these strikes. So, KADMAM heard that we are on strike and decided to come and find out what are the reasons for the strike, and if in any way they can be of help through advocacies.
“We’ve had a robust discussion with them (CSOs), and they’ve promised us to make advocacy to inform relevant stakeholders about the demands.
“They called on us to sympathize with members of the public to access these health services and pleaded with us, if in any way we can consider our people in the community.
“We agreed with them and told them we will get back to our members, who asked us to embark on the strike, because we have demands and, if the demands are met today, we’ll call off the strike today.
“And we know that, it’s not possible to pay the salaries today, but let the governor make a tangible commitment, and make pronouncements that he will implement the demands by end of October 2024. With written agreement, strike will be called off today immediately,” he assured.
Also in an interview, the Co-chairman of KADMAM, Isah Gidado, said they called for the meeting with the leaders of the 3 organizations to chat ways forward to end the strike for the benefit of the communities.
“We have reach consensus that they are ready to resume work, if government makes tangible commitment to meet their demands against October ending.
“We are here because we work for the community to get the best health service delivery. So, today, if nurses and other health workers are on strike, virtually all over 255 facilities and all other health sectors will be down. We have more than 1,000 health facilities that will be closed down in the state; that will be a disaster for us.
“The next step is for us to engage the relevant authority. We will write to the Head of Services in the State, seek for appointment, sit down with him and find ways to settle the strike matter through advocacy,” he stated.