SAN FRANCISCO, April 30, (THEWILL) – The Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, has declared that the demand of officials of the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) to be at par with doctors in terms of salary is neither practicable nor acceptable.
Disclosing this in a statement on Monday, Adewole revealed that the current administration has offered to adjust the salaries and wages of the health workers.
“As a responsible government, we will do everything within our power to bring the ongoing strike action to an end as quickly as possible,” a statement by Olajide Oshundun, Assistant Director of Information, Health Ministry, issued on Adewole’s behalf.
“Indeed, the federal government has put machinery in place to ensure that the strike is called off by meeting with JOHESU officials on several occasions.
“But what JOHESU is asking for is parity with medical doctors which is neither practicable nor acceptable to the federal government.”
The minister also denied that there was an agreement between the federal government and JOHESU prior to the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
He said what the union brandished as a 2014 agreement with the federal government were minutes of meetings they had with some organs of government.
“The administration of President Muhammadu Buhari will not renege on any agreement entered into with any labour organisation including JOHESU,” he said.
The minister, therefore, appealed to the unions to immediately call off the strike and allow for the conclusion of the assignment given to a panel regarding the 2017 agreement.
