FG owing us seven months’ salary arrears, say health workers

The Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) has called on the federal government to pay the seven months’ salary arrears of its members.

Kabiru Sani, president of MHWUN, spoke on Friday at the national executive council (NEC) meeting of the union in Abuja.

Sani said the government should also address the issue of the 8-month salary arrears owed to its regulatory agencies.

“We have issues of non-payment of outstanding seven-month salary arrears. We also have the issue of Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) adjustment as done to our sister organisation or our sister salary structure of CONHESS,” he said.

“We equally use the opportunity to call on the federal government to look at the issue of payment of outstanding 8-month arrears to our regulatory agencies and our members. Already the policy has been reverted but the release of funds is yet to be done.”

The MHWUN president lamented the decay in health infrastructure and called for policies to reverse the situation.

“The minister should curb the pull and push factors responsible for the alarming incidences of brain drain and migration of health Workers,” he added.

On his part, Ayuba Wabba, former president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), said workers’ organisations and trade unions should not be viewed as threats to democracy.

Wabba said workers’ fundamental rights must be protected to strengthen the country’s democracy.

“If you attack the fundamental rights of citizens, you are also attacking the fundamental rights of workers and this can put democracy under jeopardy,” he said.