The hospital workers have also embarked on a three-day warning strike.
Doctors and Nurses at the National Hospital, Abuja on Tuesday morning protested the non-payment of their entitlements by the hospital authorities.
The protesters demanded the sack of the Director of Administration of the Hospital, identified as Odimkpa, for the delay in payment of the entitlements. They also allege that the hospital’s management is insensitive to their welfare.
Reports say they have declared a three-day warning strike starting from Tuesday to press home their demands. The hospital staff are expected to come to the hospital every day during the strike, and stand outside the admin block from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon.
UPDATE: What Happened
Doctors, nurses and other health workers during the protest. [PHOTO: Ajibola Oyewande]
The hospital workers said the Nigerian government is reneging on an earlier agreement on workers welfare.
Three years after the Federal Government signed an agreement with workers of the National Hospital in Abuja, the government has not only refused to honour the agreement, but has stated its intention to renege on it.
This was disclosed by hospital workers- nurses, laboratory scientists, midwifes, etc. – who embarked on a three-day warning strike on Tuesday.
The staff embarked on a three-day warning strike to protest against the non-implementation of the revised condition of service.
The Chairman of the Senior Staff Association of the Hospital, Kilani Jelili, said that the warning strike would start from eight in the morning to 12 noon for three days.
The unions involved in the protest include the hospital’s senior staff association, National Association of Nurses and Midwifes as well as the Medical Health Workers Union.
The agreement
Mr. Jelili said it was only in 2010 that a condition of service was approved for workers in the hospital but was yet to be implemented by the management.
“It was presented to us that we now have a condition of service which was approved in 2010 February. But before that 2010, from 1993 to 2010, no condition of service.
“We agitated for it and we were given but to our amazement the management just told us that on 31st January 2013 that they could not implement the condition of service because they are grey areas,” the union leader said.
The workers’ leader said the demands of the hospital staff bordered on their welfare, as there is no welfare package for them.
“People are disenchanted, they are unhappy, they are angry that the management really does not care for us and that is why we said we must ask for what is our right. In fact even the welfare package they met on ground has been stopped.
“When you have a social event to do and you want to use the hospital vehicle, you have to pay as if you are an outsider. So what is the essence of working here if we cannot even enjoy some simple benefits? That is why people say we should ask our management to give us what is due to us,” he added.
The chairman, however, said that the unions were ready to negotiate as long as their demands would be met. He averred that the health conditions of the workers in the hospital needed to be good for them to be able to take care of patients effectively.
Mr. Jelili said that a meeting was held on Monday between the union leaders, management of the National Hospital, and representatives of the Federal Ministry of Health to consider the issue at stake.
Hospital management explains
Meanwhile, the Head, Management Information Service of the Hospital, Tayo Haastrup, has appealed to the various unions to wait for the outcome of the report of the meeting held on Monday.
He said President Goodluck Jonathan had directed the minister of health to look into the activities of the national hospital and that a committee had been set up for that purpose.
“The honourable minister of health has actually set up a committee to look into all the grievances of the few unions in the hospital. They (the committee) were here yesterday from the honorable minister of health from the ministry of health to find out to investigate; they had discussion with the unions and the management of the hospital.
“Every one of us should wait for the outcome of the report of the committee that the minister has set up,” he said.
The hospital spokesperson said the president has asked the minister to supervise the activities of national hospital on his behalf; and that the hospital management reports to the health minister on its activities.
“So if in his own wisdom has set up a committee I believe we should all wait for the outcome of the report, so that they would give us a direction,” he said.
Source: Premium Times
UPDATE: Why we are angry - Staff
Nurses, laboratory scientists, and others at the Nigerian hospital are on strike.
The staff of the National Hospital in Abuja on Thursday declared a total strike commencing from 4:00 p.m.
This follows a three-day warning strike the workers embarked on from Tuesday to Thursday.
The workers said their decision to embark on a total strike was because the hospital authorities were not forthcoming on their demands.
Below are the eleven demands of the hospital workers.
1. Full implementation of the Condition of Service for workers of the hospital.
2. The adoption of the training guidelines submitted to the hospital management in 2010 as a training policy for the hospital.
33. Re-establishment of staff clinic to cater for the healthcare needs of staff and their dependants.
4. Refund of medical bills to staff hitherto suspended should be restored.
5. The annual prepaid housing allowance to staff as loan should be paid as rent subsidy at the beginning of each year as provided for in the Condition of Service for workers.
6. Commencement of approved amount of duty tour allowance to workers as prescribed by the PSR.
7. Stoppage of the payment of the first 28 days accommodation allowance to newly employed staff be reversed and backlog paid to the affected officers.
8. Full implementation of the scheme of service for all health professionals in the service of the hospital.
9. Establishment of a police post around the perimeter of the hospital premises and provision of functional street lights in the hospital’s immediate environment.
10. Reinstatement of the suspended members of staff from histopathology department who have been discharged and acquitted of the offence which caused their suspension
11. The retirement of the Director of Administration, James Odiba, following unlawful extension of the tenure of his service.
Source: Premium Times
UPDATE: Workers call off strike
The workers earlier embarked on a warning strike on Tuesday.
The staffers of the National Hospital, Abuja, have called off their strike.
The Head, Management Information Service of the Hospital, Tayo Haastrup, announced that the two-day full strike has been called off.
Before the commencement of the total strike on Thursday, the workers had on Tuesday embarked on a three-day warning strike.
Mr. Haastrup said the workers are to resume work immediately.
More detail soon....
Source: Premium Times
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