JOHESU suspends six weeks’ strike

THE members of the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) have suspended their six weeks’ nationwide strike.

The suspension was with effect from yesterday.

The health workers had proceeded on a nationwide job boycott on the midnight of April 17, following alleged Federal Government’s inability to honour agreements between both parties.

While the strike action lasted, government hospitals were only operating skeletal services with serious emergency cases being attended to.

However, following the intervention of Senate President Bukola Saraki, the leadership of the unions met yesterday, where it was agreed to suspend the strike.

At the end of the union’s National Executive Council meeting in Abuja, JOHESU National Chairman Josiah Biobelemoye said the suspension is to pave way for further negotiations to continue on Monday.

Biobelemoye, who briefed reporters with the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) President, Ayuba Wabbara, and other leaders, expressed dismay over alleged insincerity exhibited at the negotiation table by the Federal Government’s negotiating team.

In his view, this led to the breakdown of further negotiations and unnecessarily prolonged the strike.

He stressed that the strike was not politically motivated, but in a bid to save the health sector from imminent collapse

According to him, the suspension of the strike was not as a result of the court injunction but for the sympathy for the people.

On his part, Wabara assured the unions of the support of the NLC and stressed that it has justified case.

He noted that there were interventions by people in high places.

Wabara hoped that there would be fairness and justice going forward between the government and unions.