Salary deduction: Medical, Health Workers’ Union (JOHESU) Bauchi suspends strike

 Paul Orude Bauchi

This was announced by the Secretary of JOHESU in the State , Comrade Usman Danturaki, on Friday in Bauchi, at the conference Hall of the Ministry of Finance, saying further negotiations were still ongoing to address the issues once and for all.

JOHESU,  Danturaki said , went on an indefinite strike to protest the unilateral deductions made by the state government in its June and July 2020 salaries.

Danturaki said they embarked on the strike after several  efforts to draw the attention of the state government to their failed.

“Having been convinced with the steps taken by the government prior to the commencement of the strike, coupled with ardent desire to meet our demands, JOHESU have resolved to suspend the strike action with immediate effect so as to pave way for further negotiations to continue on Monday August 10, 2020 where agreement on major issues shall be reached and signed accordingly,” the JOHESU Secretary, said.

Earlier in his remarks, the Commissioner for Finance, and Chairman Implemention Committee on new salary administration,is Alhaji Umaru Sanda Adamu, said that the biggest challenges of the administration was ovwrbloated workforce that gulps state revenues.

Adamu said to address the problem the state government embarked on staff auditing and discreet investigation by setting up two Committees to produce a credible payroll.

“The revelations from their findings so far are startling and had confirmed the initial fears of government that indeed , there are serious infractions on government payroll at both the state and local government s with ample evidence of the existence of ghost workers, fraudulent payment allowances to ineligible staff, multiple salary payments,” among others, said Adamu

On the issue of implementing Consolidated Health Salary Structure ) COHESS) to health workers, the commissioner said that the cabinet committee discussed with the JOHESU union leadership  in company with the leadership of Contial Labour in June when the problem was noticed.

“The committee after investigation , discovered that 20 per cent CONHESS said to have been removed from entitled workers salaries in the month of June 2020 was not done deliberately but was mistakenly removed as at the time.of preparation of their payroll,” he said.

He said the development , which also occured with the July 2020 salaries of health workers was also not deliberate but caused by miscommunication

“As I speak to you now the payments have commenced the union leadership is fully aware of this development,” the Commissioner, said.