Industrial crash: Crafting emergency framework to address immediate demands in Nigeria’s health sector

The deepening of sectoral instabilities in Nigeria have become an albatross to development in the Country. The factors instigating the instabilities, though broadened and deep seated, have always had on the leading force, the subject of labour grievances. The grievances have remained the impetus of unionism in the Country. Nigerian NewsDirect had in an editorial earlier on Monday lamented the drumbeat of strike actions looming across critical sectors in the Country. The editorial which lamented the undesirables and hostilities of such sectoral instabilities to development had read partly: “Industrial actions have grown in Nigeria to become a seated phenomenon in the character of political and labour contention within the Country. The struggles by Labour unions have over time lasted with reoccurring subjects which have been left unaddressed. The narratives become more troublesome with the centrality of the sectors from where these strike actions exhume from time to time. The thought of the critical necessity of the sectors where industrial actions have become a norm, speaks ill against the desideratum of stability of operations which is highly demanded for sustained development. The grounds often sparking these incessant courses of industrial actions have largely layed on the failure of government to, in most instances, fulfill promises made with regard to the demands of the aggrieved parties who under unionist canopy convey their actions in contest against matters largely borne by unfavourable working conditions.

“The overstretched strike of the Doctors under the aegis of Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has not lingered without leaving unsavoury narratives behind. The Doctors who commenced their industrial action since the 2nd of August, 2021, has remained resolute not to call off the strike until they see their demands met by the Government. Attempts to court to secure an order compelling the health professionals back to work have not yielded the desired results, neither have government’s advances been crafted so alluring to pacify the health workers this time. It is now apparent the body have become so acquainted with the modus operandi of the Government and is hell bent on sticking firmly to the ground of having their demands met before moving to work. Disagreements between the body of Doctors and the Government have continued to take course as irreconcilable differences keep taking heady dimensions as the offers of the latter appear to be unsatisfying to the former.

“The drumbeat of industrial actions in the Country have become an albatross, the reflective impacts of which pose stains of instabilities hostile to sustained and measurable development. It is saddening that such vital institutions as education and health sectors are being left to suffer such inconsistencies by acts of insolence which appear counterproductive to socio-economic development. It is inarguable that the reality of the quest of development can only take course under consistency of coordinated efforts directed strategically with little or no waves of instabilities. The prevailing situation of incessant strikes and drumbeats of industrial actions are inconsistent with the desideratum of appreciable development.

“The need for the Government to bring an end to the era of infidel posture of breaching agreements signed with Labour unions as a crash instrument to end strikes, while failing to honour same have only triggered more heady showdown and multiplicity of industrial actions and grievance threats which by way of lack of motivation for workers have continued to dampened the course of sectoral motivation.”

While the instabilities in the health sector have remained a subject of concern with cloggings of deep seated grievances, occasioning industrial actions from time to time, the turn to strikes appear to be assuming more stormy dimensions as unmet demands and dishonoured agreements continue to push labour unions in the sector to hanging off work in protest to the breaches. While the NARD’s strike continue to linger close to two months, deepening of prevailing crises in the Country’s health sector loom as health workers under the aegis of Joint Health Sector Unions, (JOHESU) have threatened to shut down Federal Government owned hospitals and other healthcare facilities in the Country as its 15 day ultimatum is set to elapse by Saturday. The Unions in a reminder statement on Tuesday, signed by its National Chairman, Comrade Biobelemoye Josiah, had expressed their move to shut government owned hospitals and health facilities, should the government by the end of the ultimatum fail to address the concerns they have raised.

It would be recalled that health workers under the aegis of JOHESU, and the Assembly of Healthcare Professional Associations (AHPA) had on Friday, September, 17, issued a 15-day strike notice to the Federal Government over the alleged inability of the latter to address some of the grievances raised by the workers. In the communique issued on Friday 17th September, following an expanded National Executive Council meeting, comprising Presidents and General Secretaries of affiliate unions, the stakeholders had deliberated on the state of the negotiation at the conciliation meetings between JOHESU and the Federal Government since the declaration of the trade dispute through the earlier 15 days strike notice issued on the 2nd of September, 2021, which elapsed on 18th September, 2021.

The Unions had stated that while they were aware of the appeal from President Muhammadu Buhari, on the need to show understanding with his administration and the President’s pledge to pay any debt owed health workers, they argued it was essential for Federal Government “to act according to agreements reached.” The Unions further requested the Federal Ministry of Health to ensure speedy circularisation of all establishment and welfare matters as agreed during negotiation meetings. They had further charged the Federal Government to “reciprocate the patriotic humanitarian gesture of JOHESU in the interest of the larger Nigerian masses to expeditiously resolve all the demands within the fifteen days window,” arguing that they unanimously adopted a resolution to step down the first notice of strike action which expires midnight on 17th September 2021 and issued a fresh notice of fifteen (15) days.

The demands of the Unions as conditions needed to be met to avert the strike in the Tuesday’s statement, had read: “It is pertinent to draw the attention of the Federal Government to our fresh fifteen (15) days strike Notice, which is billed to expire in the next few days and for it to act to avoid shutdown of hospitals and other healthcare facilities. We wish also to inform the general public that our NEC noted the appeal from President Muhammadu Buhari on the need to show understanding with his administration and the President’s pledge to pay any debt owed health workers. We would also wish to note some of the resolutions reached at the end of our not struck how that we are not strike mongers, but just for the federal government to act according to agreements reached. We have asked the Federal Ministry of Health to ensure speedy circularisation of all establishment and welfare matters as agreed during negotiation meetings. We Equally asked the Federal Government to ensure that the new data for the computation of the adjusted Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) for JOHESU members be submitted to the ‘High Level Body’ (HLB) of the FG no later than Wednesday, 22nd September, 2021 as agreed. We also urged the Federal Government to ensure that the ‘High Level Body’ (HLB) complete and submit the computation of the adjusted CONHESS for inclusion in the 2022 budget on or before the 30th of September, 2021 submission window. While, we push for better welfare and conditions of service for our members, we urge the Federal Government to reflect the promises of Mr. President in the activities relating to our demands to ensure continuous industrial harmony in the health sector.”

Joining the lingering NARD strike in the Country which commenced since August 02, the threatened JOHESU industrial actions would no doubt further plunge Nigeria’s health sector into deeper crises. The masses who have  largely remained at the receiving end of such industrial actions would be exposed to further suffer the brunts of the lacunas emerging therefrom, should the actions be left to take course without critical attention to avert same.

It has become necessary for the Government to institute pragmatic measures to forestall the possibilities of another massive industrial action capable of grounding operations in the sector. The multiplicity of industrial actions in the sector, particularly from unions involving professionals under the employment of the Government, constituting the larger percentage of health professionals in the Country, have remained an albatross to the health system in the Country. The instabilities have only left narratives of a sector ridden with inconsistencies which largely give the definitions of an unreliable system ravaged with debilitations that have left many Nigerians handicapped before excruciating ailments. The avoidable losses which have been zooming from these debilitation, which are by and large product of insensitivity, have continued to pose ravaging effects to socio-economic profile in the Country.

As another threat of industrial action is set before the Country, capable of grounding activities in the sector, it is only rational that the Government rise to responsibility with the most urgent possibilities to pragmatically foreclose the threats from becoming a reality. Hence, the need for the Government to address immediate needs for the short term becomes important as pacifying instruments, while the need to commence revolutionary efforts towards long term fortification of the workings of the health sector in the Country is largely sacrosanct. It is therefore, imperative that a system outlining the need for robust investments in the health sector be crafted to address long-term deep-seated demands in the Country, while conveying emergency framework to address immediate demands.