Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has advised Federal Government against submitting to the “blackmail” being championed by the healthcare workers under the umbrella of Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) on equal salary package with medical doctors.

NMA, in a statement on Sunday, said that such move would be disastrous, and a clear violations of previous agreements with the medical doctors under the umbrella of NMA.

NMA spokesman, Dr. Aniekeme Uwah, who signed the statement released in Abuja, on Sunday, insisted that NMA was never opposed to salary increase, adjustment or variation for JOHESU members, as long as such action and identical values are applied to CONMESS to sustain the agreement with NMA.

Dr. Uwah asked JOHESU members to desist from threatening and harassing officials of the Federal Ministry of Health, particularly the Director of Hospital Services, and advised them to follow the lay down rules in pursuit of whatever package they want.

He said: “JOHESU is free to negotiate for improvement in welfare package, but doctors are not afraid or bothered as long as the facts and international standard are presented and applied. If anyone is to be unhappy, it should be the Physicians who are being shortchanged by the ‘deliberate’ refusal of the Federal Government to apply internationally accepted relativity in the remuneration of health workers in Nigeria.

“Besides, medical doctors in administrative positions have worked hard to create a healthy balance in welfarism between physicians and allied health professionals in the health sector. But JOHESU have bent backwards by recommending relativity in emoluments below what is obtainable for physicians internationally to the disenchantment of members of NMA,” he stated.

He, therefore, accused JOHESU members of being known for spreading misinformation and disinformation, hence it was no surprise for them that they attempted to emotionally blackmail the Director of Hospital Services, Federal Ministry of Health, on welfare related issues affecting its members.

He described it as a well known strategy of JOHESU after failing in discussions oiled in hard evidence. “There’s no basis for JOHESU to ask for the same salary package as for Medical Doctors as this is not the standard practice worldwide.

“JOHESU knows that there is a relativity agreement between the Federal Government and the NMA on CONHESS and CONMESS. If the attention of all parties are Drew to the extant agreement on call duty allowance as signed in 2001 and basic salary as amended and signed in 2014, it will only be stating the facts and be commended for due diligence.

“Besides, all parties including the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment know the implications of breaching the agreement on relativity. NMA is never opposed to salary increase, adjustment or variation for JOHESU members as long as such action and identical values are applied to CONMESS to sustain the agreement with NMA,” he emphasized.

(Daily Sun)

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