Labour warns EKSUTH against planned mass sack

Gives it 14 days to resolve issues with workers
To avert a repeat of what happened a couple of weeks ago at the Ekiti State University (EKSU), where over 600 workers were disengaged, the organised labour has warned the management of Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH) against “mass sack” of its workforce.

Labour issued a 14-day ultimatum to EKSUTH management to resolve issues prompting the planned retrenchment and pay all outstanding salaries, deductions and other benefits to avert withdrawal of services by staff of the institution.

Chairmen of the state’s chapter of Trade Union Congress (TUC), Sola Adigun; Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Kolapo Olatunde; and Joint Negotiating Council (JNC), Kayode Fatomiluyi, spoke in Ado Ekiti yesterday after a closed-door meeting with the hospital’s management staff.

Adigun said rather than contemplate sack of any staff, the state government should look inwards and increase its internally-generated revenue (IGR), so that subvention to the health institution could be increased.

The TUC boss added that labour would resist any attempt to sack workers without following public service rules, stressing that sack was not the best option to compensate staff that had sacrificed for the hospital.

“When we came for this interface, we thought it was a rumour that workers would be sacked. But we have confirmed the intending plan to sack our people here. We cannot allow our members to be working under a condition of service that is not palatable. They should not be in a hurry to sack, because this will lead to withdrawal of services.

“We have issued a 14 -day ultimatum for all issues to be resolved. Sack shouldn’t be a New Year package for our members, because many are still working hard despite being owed several months’ salaries and deductions, even without promotion.

“What we are experiencing is not the best. A situation whereby you brought a consultant to interview workers and send the names of workers you felt should be disengaged to the media for announcement is not fashionable,” he said.

Olatunde and Fatomiluyi urged government not to see sack as panacea to irregular payment of salaries.

“Anything done contrary to the civil service rules will be resisted. Workers are responsible people and would not condone indiscipline, because EKSUTH has no good reason to sack anybody with what we heard.

“In EKSU, they employed people in 2018 and used them to get accreditation, only for them to be sacked later. They must be given fair hearing,” the NLC boss said.

Chairman of the Joint Heath Sector Union (JOHESU), Farotimi Omotola, disagreed with the rumour that EKSUTH was over-bloated with staff, describing the hospital as grossly understaffed due to persistent brain drain being experienced in all departments.

EKSUTH management could not be reached for reaction as at press time, but the Public Relations Officer (PRO), Rolake Adejumo, said on telephone that she was not at the meeting and had not been briefed.