LAGOS, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Nigerian health workers on Monday threatened to embark on a nationwide indefinite strike beginning Tuesday midnight due to alleged government failure to meet their demands.
Josiah Biobelemoye, President of the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) issued the strike notice during a sensitization meeting in Abuja, the country's capital.
Biobelemoye attributed the industrial action to what he described as the insensitivity and lackadaisical attitude of drivers of the health sector.
He directed all JOHESU members in federal health institutions across the country to commence the strike at midnight of April 17.
Biobelemoye listed their demands to include upward adjustment of Salary Scale and employment of additional health professionals.
Other demands are implementation of court judgments and upward review of retirement age from 60 to 65 years.
Biobelemoye told his audience that the union suspended its last nationwide strike on Sept. 30, 2017, after signing a Memorandum of Terms of Settlement (MOTS), with the federal government.
According to him, the MOTS was supposed to be implemented within five weeks after the date of suspension of the strike.
He added that six months after the suspension of the nationwide strike, government was yet to do anything tangible over the pending issues.
According to him, the union had on Feb. 5 given a fresh 21 days ultimatum to enable government meet the agreement reached.
The JOHESU president told reporters that the union gave an additional 30 working days effective from March 5, after the expiration of the earlier 21 days ultimatum.
Biobelemoye, who described the union members as peace lovers, emphasized that the 45 days was given simply because the union had the interest of the masses at heart.