Health workers in Nigeria, under the aegis of the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), have issued a stern 15-day ultimatum to the Nigerian government, threatening a full-scale nationwide strike if their grievances remain unaddressed.
This warning, laid out in a communiqué entitled “Notice of 15 days ultimatum and resumption of suspended strike action,” was directed to Muhammad Pate, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare.
The official correspondence, dated October 9, 2024 and co-signed by JOHESU’s national chairman, Kabiru Minjibir, along with its national secretary, Martin Egbanubi, forewarned that the strike, previously suspended, would be revived on October 25, 2024, should the government fail to meet their demands in full.
JOHESU expressed that the ultimatum arose due to the government’s persistent refusal to engage with or resolve the pressing issues faced by its members.
These unresolved matters were the primary catalysts for the previous strike that ran from May 19 to June 6, 2023. This industrial action had been put on hold following the intervention of President Bola Tinubu.
Another key demand was the initiation of processes to raise the retirement age of health workers via the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.
Among other pressing issues, JOHESU requested a tax exemption on allowances granted to health personnel and called for swift payment of the COVID-19 hazard inducement allowances, which had previously been withheld from several workers.
The union also demanded the immediate cessation of plans to establish and operationalise the National Health Facilities Registration Authority (NHFRA), as well as the repeal of the Drug Revolving Fund Standard Operating Procedure (DRF SOP) implemented by the Ministry of Health.
Furthermore, the group called for the enforcement of agreed-upon entry-level, on-call duty, and other allowances for pharmacists holding Doctor of Pharmacy degrees.
The communiqué concluded with a stern notification, stating that JOHESU’s expanded national executive council had, on October 2, 2024, unanimously passed a resolution to embark on a strike in accordance with Section 41 of the Trade Disputes Act.
This strike would commence at midnight on October 25, 2024, across all Federal Health Institutions, for an initial duration of seven days.
It is worth noting that during the previous JOHESU strike from May to June 2023, healthcare services in Nigeria’s public hospitals were severely disrupted, teetering on the brink of collapse.
While that strike was eventually called off following President Tinubu’s intervention, the ongoing lack of resolution to their demands continues to pose a serious threat to Nigeria’s healthcare system.