Kayode Shopekan
Assembly of Healthcare Professionals and The Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) have suspended their strike action.
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During a five-hour meeting with the leadership of JOHESU, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, confirmed to newsmen that the federal government has reached a truce with the aggrieved health workers, and a Memorandum of Understanding will be signed next week.
However, he added that matters such as enhancement of hazard allowance, review of retirement age from 60-65 years, arrears of the consequential adjustment of the national minimum wage, and salary structures, were still ongoing.
Dr Ngige further noted that N37.5 billion naira has been budgeted for hazard allowance, and the Federal Government will be meeting with the Nigerian Medical Association to finalise all deliberations.
JOHESU had earlier issued a 15-day ultimatum to the federal government after their demands for hazard allowance, 30 percent of shift duty allowance to health workers, payment of outstanding allowance to intern health professionals, among others, were not met.
The minister stated that most of the demands were previously undressed as a result of the perilous state of the economy, but reiterated that the Federal Ministry of Health will soon meet with JOHESU to draw up a framework, convenient for both parties.
