Hazard allowance: Health workers in Oyo begin warning strike

Members of the Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP), Oyo state chapter, have commenced a seven-day warning strike.

Olanrewaju Ajani, chairman of NUAHP in the state,  said the warning strike followed the expiration of the ultimatum given to the state government at the meeting of the union held on February 23.

Ajani said the ultimatum, which took effect on February 26, ended on March 4.

He said most of the demands by the union have not been met while members were also not receiving the expected attention from the state government.

He said the union leadership has held several meetings and negotiations with management teams of Oyo state hospitals’ management board, ministry of health, office of the head of the service and some other relevant offices.

Ajani said several committees had also invited the union leadership on different occasions to make presentations, with no fruitful response to members’ agitations.

He said one of the demands that need prompt attention from the government is the implementation of the new national hazard allowance for health professionals.

“We demand implementation of teaching allowance for NUAHP members who are deeply involved in the training of interns and students on clinical and research postings and adjustment of CONHESS table for our members, as already implemented for medical doctors since 2021,” NAN quoted Ajani as saying.

“We also demand release of promotion letters for qualified members who participated in the last promotion exercises in the state, which others have been enjoying some months back and restoration of call duty allowance for dental therapists.

“We want recruitment of more health workers and professionals to include members of NUAHP to replace those who are retiring and those who left the service of the state, among other demands.”

Ajani said the union would no longer allow its members to be sidelined and treated as inconsequential in the scheme of things in the state’s health sector.

He urged Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo, to look into the grievances of NUAHP members, to address them with the “utmost urgency they deserved”.

“Our members are already pushed to the wall to have resorted to taking this step after exhausting all mechanisms to avoid a trade dispute,” he said.

“The seven-day ultimatum, as indicated in our letter, expired in the early hours of Monday, March 4.

“We hereby direct all our members in all the hospitals and health facilities across the state to proceed on strike from today (Monday).

“It will last till March 11 and, if after the expiration, there is no feasible outcome, the union will declare an indefinite strike, after which our members in all the general, state and specialist/teaching hospitals across the state are to withdraw their services.

“All students on clinical postings, research and other such purposes will not be attended to; all staff on secondment and ad hoc assignments in other agencies are to withdraw their services.

“Also, all HODs in our facilities should collaborate with their hospital management to ensure safety and security of their respective departments.”