Ayuba Wabba, president, Nigeria
Labour Congress (NLC), says Isaac Adewole, minister of health, has no right to
deny the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) members of their salaries.
Wabba said this while fielding
questions from journalists after the union suspended its six weeks nationwide
strike on Thursday in Abuja.
The minister had earlier
threatened not to pay the salaries of JOHESU members for the number of days
they went on strike while some were not paid the April salary.
Reacting, Wabba said: “The
minister has no final say on whether the workers will not be paid for the
number of days the strike was on President Muhammadu Buhari has the final
authority in this regard.”
The NLC president decried the
negative impact of the six weeks strike on the poor masses. He attributed it to
the inability of the minister to resolve it.
He said the minister rather than
acting as minister of the health sector generally acted as the minister of
doctors.
“The minister has not handled
this issue very well. If he had handled this issue very well, we would not have
been in this quagmire,” Wabba said.
“He is not the minister of only
one profession, he is the minister of health of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria.
“We must make this point very
clear, that is why myself and the Trade Union Congress leader are here because
we want this issue to be resolved.
“The minister must see himself as
the minister of health.”
Wabba, however, expressed optimism
that the intervention of Senate President Bukola Saraki and other respected
Nigerians will bring a lasting solution to the crisis.
“I am aware that all our workers
are in high spirit, they will be able to conform to all these issues if they
are given fairness and justice,” he said.
“There have been interventions
from the highest level.
“I had to leave Geneva because of
this clarion call and clearly speaking also, now that the platform for this
negotiation is going to be created by the National Industrial Court and believe
it is going to be unbiased.
“We also hope that there is going
to be fairness and justice in the long run.”
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