Members of the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) have called for a presidential waiver for the implementation of the lingering adjustment of Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS).
The chairmanship of JOHESU, Dr. Kabiru Ado Minjibir, lamented the challenges in achieving CONHESS for its members since 2014, even after they met with President Bola Tinubu on June 5, 2023 on the matter, following a strike and received assurances that the issue would be addressed, leading to the strike’s suspension.
JOHESU members include the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria, the Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals and the Senior Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals and Associated Institutions, and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities and Associated Institutions.
Minjibir said during a courtesy/working visit to the coordinating minister of health and social welfare, Professor Ali Pate, that the non-actualisation of the promised CONHESS adjustment for 10 years, is a major source of concern to the union as it has ‘’instilled restlessness in the value chain of its members” and urged the Federal Ministry of Health to “intervene to check looming industrial unrest.’’
The union appreciated the reassurances of r Pate, who promised to activate the structures connected with the approval process of the adjustment of CONHESS, after jointly reviewing the progress of the new initiatives in the days ahead to enable it to respond appropriately.
In a communique signed at the inaugural meeting, JOHESU demanded that the minister expedite action on the matter immediately. It further decried ‘’the non-payment of arrears from June 2023 to January 2024 as well as the improper arithmetical calculations which did not factor in the basic salaries of beneficiaries in working out their taxable allowances.’’
‘’The agitation and protestations of our members have reached a climax and we strongly demand that the honourable minister take up the matter with His Excellency, President Bola Tinubu to facilitate an approval of the Presidential Committee on Salaries (PCS) or presidential waiver to pave way for the implementation of Adjustment of CONHESS,’’ the document partly read.
JOHESU commended the immediate past Permanent Secretary of the Federal ministry of Labour and Employment and the incumbent Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health, Ms Daju Kachollom, who did yeoman’s job to give the Consultant Pharmacist, project a sense of direction after years of procrastination by some arms of government.
It called on the minister to exercise his ‘’usual sterling qualities to catalyze the completion of the creation of vacancies of this cadre by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, a request the minister readily acceded to in collaboration with the permanent secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health.’’
The workers also appealed to the federal government to give priority to the constitution of Boards of Management for Federal Health Institutions (FHI) in the country in compliance with statutory provisions and conform to vital Acts of Parliament.
They urged the government to ensure that constituted FHI complies with vital healthcare legislation, including the University Teaching Hospitals Act, Federal Medical Centres Act, and Acts of Parliament governing specialist hospitals without enabling legislation.