FG, health workers fail to reach agreement

The federal government has not been able to reach an agreement with striking health workers in the country.

On Tuesday, Chris Ngige, minister of labour and employment, and Isaac Adewole, health minister, met with the leadership of the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU), but the meeting ended in deadlock.

Ngige criticised the health workers for “not following the provisions” of existing labour laws, while the union insisted that no labour law violated by their action.

In a statement by Samuel Olowookere, deputy director, press in labour ministry, Ngige said the labour union made a blunder by “routing its notice of action to the secretary to the government of the federation (SGF) instead of the labour and employment minister”.

In response, the union said its members “waited patiently for 30 days. We notified the government. After 30 days, we still gave seven days and that was the final ultimatum”.

Both Ngige and Adewole appealed to the workers to call off the strike but they did not accept the entreaties of the government officials.

Patients have been stranded in various hospitals since last week when the workers declared an indefinite strike.