- Their demands include the payment of COVID-19 hazard allowances, a tax waiver on healthcare workers’ allowances, and the suspension of plans to establish a new regulatory agency
Public healthcare workers in Nigeria, under the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU), have issued a 15-day ultimatum to the government, threatening another strike if their long-standing demands are not met.
The union, which represents healthcare professionals across the country, stated that the government has failed to address their grievances, despite a promise made by President Bola Tinubu in June.
Their demands include the payment of COVID-19 hazard allowances, a tax waiver on healthcare workers’ allowances, and the suspension of plans to establish a new regulatory agency.
JOHESU previously went on strike from May 19 to June 6, 2023, disrupting services in public hospitals before halting industrial action after the president’s assurance of intervention.
In a statement signed by the union’s national chairman and secretary, JOHESU warned that if the government does not take action within the next 15 days, they will resume their strike.
In a related development, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has also given the government a 14-day ultimatum to address their own unresolved issues, raising concerns about potential disruptions across the education and health sectors.