THE National Chairman of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives – Federal Health Institutions Sector (NANNM-FHI), Morakinyo-Olajide Rilwan, has vowed that the union’s ongoing strike would not be suspended unless the government addressed critical parts of the group’s demands.
This followed a meeting between the union and the Minister of Labour, Muhammadu Dingyadi, on Tuesday, July 29, the day the association’s 15-day ultimatum expired.
Despite the discussion, nurses across federal health institutions proceeded with the strike on Wednesday.
Speaking on Channels TV’s Sunrise Daily on Thursday, July 31, Rilwan said the nurses would not heed government appeals to return to work without tangible actions taken to meet their demands.
Responding to a question on what the union’s response would be if the government urged it to resume work while its demands are considered, Rilwan said that the strike would not be halted simply on the promise of further discussions.
“That is what the government will definitely ask for – that we should suspend the strike so they can look at our demands.
“We are not comfortable with that. We have to make sure that parts of the demand are attended to before we can suspend the strike at all,” he said.
Rilwan explained that the association had been patient and given sufficient notice, but the government failed to act.
The ICIR reports that the Minister of Labour had on Wednesday, July 30, urged the nurses and midwives to reconsider their stance.
While appealing for the suspension of the strike, he encouraged the union to continue dialogue, describing industrial action as an unproductive solution.
He said discussions would resume on Friday at the Ministry of Health.
However, the chairman of the striking nurses, on Channels Television, stressed that industrial action was not a default path for nurses, adding that the strike was a last resort following years of unaddressed grievances.
“It’s not actually in the nurses’ attitude to embark on a strike, and we have been patient enough because we are compassionate.
Nurses are empathetic with their patients; we love our patients and don’t want anything to happen to them. But we waited for a long time for all these demands to be met. So, this strike happens to be the last option we have to get the government’s attention.
“Based on the insincerity and insensitivity on the part of the government, I believe some parts of these demands must be met before we can suspend the strike. We have to see a serious commitment from the government before taking that step,” he stated.
The union’s demands include gazetting the scheme of service for nurses, upward review of allowances, introduction of speciality allowances for specialist nurses, improved remuneration, recruitment of more nurses, and the establishment of a dedicated department for nursing within the Federal Ministry of Health.
The warning strike is expected to last for seven days, but the association had also warned that it would issue a fresh 21-day ultimatum if the government fails to act, potentially leading to a total and indefinite strike.
Media reports show how patients have been abandoned at federal hospitals in the country because of the strike.
The ICIR reporter saw a patient in Kuje, Abuja, who was intending to move to the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital in Gwagwalada. Doctors at the hospital advised her family to take her to a private hospital because of the strike.
They said the nurses’ strike would not allow the patient to receive the maximum care she needed.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M