Health care professionals in Katsina State will begin a seven-day warning strike from midnight on Tuesday, Sept. 8, over the state government’s failure to address their longstanding demands.
The Assembly of Health Care Professionals in Katsina State announced the industrial action in a notice jointly signed on Tuesday in Katsina by its chairman, Mr Ibrahim Balange, and the chairmen and secretaries of four health workers’ unions. The assembly said the decision followed the expiration of a 21-day ultimatum issued to the Katsina State Government on Aug. 11 without what it described as serious commitment to resolving the issues.
The unions involved are the Health Workers Union of Nigeria, National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, Association of Hospital and Administrative Pharmacists of Nigeria, and Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria.
Speaking on the development, Balange said members of the assembly unanimously resolved to commence the warning strike at 12 midnight on Tuesday, Sept. 8.
He said the action would last for seven days, adding that the unions would proceed on an indefinite strike if the government failed to address their demands by the end of the warning period.
Balange said the unions had been pursuing the demands for years without seeing sufficient action from the state government, despite the government acknowledging the concerns raised by the health workers.
“For the avoidance of doubt, over the years that we have been on this struggle, the state government has never demonstrated any form of seriousness on our long overdue legitimate demands, despite admitting the justification of our cries,” he said.
He appealed to members of the public to understand the position of the health workers and hold the government responsible for any inconvenience that may result from the strike.
According to him, the assembly had exhausted all available avenues for reaching an amicable resolution of the issues before deciding to embark on industrial action.
