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From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
The National Leadership of Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) and Assembly of Healthcare Professional Associations (AHPA) rose from a meeting on Wednesday with a mandate to the Federal Government to ensure that whatever sum was approved for adjustment of the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) is fully accommodated in the N80 billion budget proposal for salary adjustment of the Federal Ministry of Health or other sources the Federal Government employs in defraying such emergency expenditure.
They said the decision was to avoid treading the same tortuous path JOHEUS/AHPA embarked on in the last eight years of agitating for the payment of their salary adjustment.
These were contained in a communique signed by the Acting National Secretary of JOHESU, Mr Mathew Ajorutu.
According to him, all members of JOHESU/AHPA have been implored to wait patiently for the outcome of the report of the technical team on adjustment of CONHESS and other demands as this will realistically form the basis of the next line of action for JOHESU/AHPA in the days to come.
Ajorotu noted that JOHESU/AHPA applauded the decision of the meeting to guarantee the participation of all the five Trade Unions and AHPA at the sessions relating to matters of adjustment of CONHESS and noted with strong emphasis that this guarantees the laudable spirit of participatory industrial democracy.
‘JOHESU/AHPA welcomed the constitution of a seven-man technical team at the meeting comprising two representatives of JOHESU, and one representative each of the National Salaries Income and Wages Commission (NSIWC), Budget Office, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment (FML&E), Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH), Head of Civil Service of the Federation (HOCSOF), Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).
‘JOHESU/AHPA called on the Technical team to fulfil its mandate of coming up with an acceptable sum dedicated to the utilisation of adjustment of CONHESS within a reasonable timeline. JOHESU/AHPA approved the timeline of two weeks in the first instance that was resolved by the committee at the October 6, 2021 meeting as a step in the right direction.
‘JOHESU/AHPA reminded the FMoH to immediately circularise positions canvassed by JOHESU/AHPA to sanction erring Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of Federal Health Institutions that refused to implement the Circular on Consultant Cadre from the office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation for Pharmacists which have been implemented by less than 10 of the 56 FHIs in the country.
‘Flowing from the above, leadership under the aegis of JOHESU/AHPA requested that the FMoH should conclude negotiations with JOHESU/AHPA on all other subject matters as epitomised in the demand list of JOHESU/AHPA to the Federal Government,’ Ajorotu explained.
