By Kemi Olatunde
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The Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU),Federal Medical Centre, Owo, Chapter has called on the  Federal Government to pay attention to the union’s demand in order to prevent strike action.

The  chairman  of JOHESU FMC, Owo, Mr. Olusola Adeniyi made the call while leading some health workers in a protest in Owo on Monday.

According to him,  the protest was to give final warning to FG, noting that if the government remained insensitive, the union national leadership would give further directive.

His words; “Following the strike that JOHESU embarked upon last year,  the Minister of Health decided to implement the no work, no pay policy which is at variance to labour law.

“We have exhausted all avenues for dialogue,  but the minister wouldn’t yield to our request.

“The motive is to cry out to the whole world and the good people of this country to appeal to him to pay our two months salaries before we embark on an indefinite strike,”he stated

It was gathered that the union  complied with the  directive of its national leadership to protest alleged reluctance and insensitivity of Federal Government to pay April and May 2018 salaries.

JOHESU  had issued a  7-day ultimatum to the FG effective from January 4 to address its listed demands such as:  unjustified withholding of the salaries of its members for April and May last year, an upward adjustment of CONHESS Salary Structure and headship of hospital departments.

Others are the implementation of consultancy cadre for JOHESU members and punitive actions against its members at the Federal Medical Centre Owerri and Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH).

The union noted that these demands were outside the ones under the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).

In his view while speaking with The Hope,  Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA),Ondo State, Dr. Wale Oke urged the government to pay the union’s members their salaries.

The NMA boss explained  that “the FG could reverse the  no work, no pay for members of ASUU,the same should be done to JOHESU because we are under one government.”