No basis for your strike, Ondo govt tells nurses

The Ondo State Government has urged striking nurses in public healthcare facilities in the state to return to work as there was no basis for their industrial action.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) in the state, on Thursday, after an emergency meeting directed its members to commence an indefinite strike at 12:00a.m. on Jan. 31.

A statement issued and signed by association’s chairman and secretary, Felix Orobode and Lucky Aremu, respectively directed its members to stay off duty until their demands are met by the state government.

The demands of the association include: Payment of the balance of January 2025 salary as agreed, with the 100 per cent new salary table.

Others demands are correction of the 2022 conversion exercise during which some of its members were indirectly demoted and payment of the arrears of promotion and hazard allowances.

The association also called for the resumption of negotiation on uniform allowance for nurses as captured in the Public Service rule.

“The government’s refusal to address nurses’ welfare has left us with no other option but to take this action.

“Nurses can no longer endure the financial and professional neglect that has characterised our relationship with the government,” the group said.

However, the state, through the Head of Service, Mr Bayo Philip, said that the state government was surprised by the action of the association.

In a statement issued in Akure on Friday, Philip said that like other health workers and public servants in the state, the nurses recently enjoyed a pay rise from the implementation of the N73,O00 minimum wage.

“In mid January 2025, other health workers, aside the medical doctors, met with the government to press for a full implementation of CONHESS Salary Table and it was jointly agreed that the matter be placed before Mr Governor for consideration.

“Mr Governor in his characteristic love for the health sector, directed that the financial implication be worked out for his consideration.

“And that is presently being concluded and should not be an excuse to delay the payment of January 2025 salary.

“Government is therefore calling on the nurses to shelve their planned industrial action as there is no basis for such, at all.

“Like other health workers, nurses are aware of the attention and action of government and they should allow good reasoning to prevail since there is neither any disputation nor deadlock.

“Nurses in the State General/Specialist hospitals should cancel the planned action as government will not tolerate any unwarranted disruption to its healthcare services,” the statement said.