By CHIDINMA EWUNONU-ALUKO

Medical and health workers in Oyo State will, on Monday, begin a seven-day warning strike to press home their demands, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

President of the state chapter of Medical and Health Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), Mr John Fabunmi, disclosed this to NAN in Ibadan on Sunday.

Fabunmi said that the warning strike would be observed by members of the union in all the health institutions across the state, including those in the ministries, departments and local government councils.

He said that the industrial action had become imperative in order to press home their demands.

The labour leader said that the union had reminded the state government of its grievances several times, but that nothing had been done to address their demands.

“Part of the union’s demands is that the new hazard allowance in the state be spread to cover all other health workers in the state, and not only those working in the hospitals.

“Another demand is that some of our members removed from the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) be returned and those who have not been placed on the CONHESS be included.

“We wish to let Gov. Seyi Makinde know that up till now, nothing has been done to address these demands, even after we had given the state government a 14-day ultimatum,” he said.

Fabunmi said that the 14-day ultimatum elapsed on June 21, adding that up till now, nothing had been heard from the government.

“In view of the present situation and the agitations from our members, the union has, therefore, resolved to embark on a seven-day warning strike to further call the attention of the government to the need to attend to our agitations.

“Our members in all the health institutions, ministries and local governments will be participating in the warning strike which will commence on Monday, June 24,” he said.

NAN reports that nurses and midwives in the state had, on May 21, embarked on indefinite strike, in compliance with the directive of the state chapter of National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM).

The union, through its state Chairman, Adeyemi Samuel, had cited failure of the state government to address its demands as the reason for calling for the strike.

NAN also reports that the industrial action embarked on the nurses and midwives had been taking its toll on the health sector, as the usual boisterous nature in most of the hospitals in the state had disappeared. (NAN)

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