…say NANNM’s NEC to decide Saturday
National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives – Federal Health Institutions Sector, on Thursday evening denied claims by the Minister of Health, Prof Ali Pate that the union has suspended its ongoing nationwide seven-day warning strike.
NANNM-FHI National Public Relations Officer, Omomo Tibiebi, stressed that the strike, which started on Wednesday, continues irrespective of a meeting held earlier in the day with the health minister.
On Wednesday, the nurses embarked on the nationwide strike to press home their long-standing demands, including an upward review of shift allowance, adjustment of uniform allowance, a separate salary structure for nurses, an increase in core duty allowance, mass recruitment of nurses, and the establishment of a nursing department in the Federal Ministry of Health, among others.
According to Tibiebi, “The strike has not been suspended. Earlier today, the NANNM executives had a meeting with the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, and it was the minister that went to press to say the strike was called-off.
“He wasn’t the one that called the strike in the first place, so he has no right to call off the strike. So, the strike is still on.”
The nurses’ spokesperson added that the union’s National Executive Council would meet tomorrow (Saturday) to review the Federal Government’s promises to determine their next line of action.
“There will be a National Executive Council meeting by tomorrow (Saturday), and that’s when a decision will be made, and we would know if what the Federal Government has promised is good enough for us to suspend the strike,” he said.
