Nigeria’s health workers on Monday announce the suspension of 11 weeks old strike after a meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan.
The union commenced strike on November 12, 2014 over non-implementation of earlier agreement entered into with government on improvement of welfare package for health workers.
National Leader of Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU), the striking body, Ayuba Wabba said President Jonathan had pleaded for time to review their demands with a promise to implement them.
“As the last authority, we have no doubt that those commitments will be met and he made a passionate plea that having intervened at that level, he pleaded with JOHESU to suspend the action and allow him the period to consider all the issues and dispense with them…. having shown enough commitment and the demonstration of his goodwill, we then have no option than to suspend the strike action and direct our members to resume work immediately.
The strike by health workers has paralysed health service delivery in Africa’s most populous country and the continent’s largest economy.
It had complicated health care delivery in both the cities and villages; the sick were not attended to, no matter the condition of illness of the person visiting the hospital.
Last week Nigeria’s Minister of Health has threatened to stop salaries of the striking health workers on No Work, No Pay rule, but Wabba said President Jonathan has given a commitment that no member of the union will be victimised in any form.
The union comprises of Pharmacists, radiotherapists, medical record officers and other cadre of health workers in the federal and state government owned hospitals
