CONHESS: Strike looms as medical, health workers issue ultimatum to Abia Govt

Members of the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria have condemned the alleged refusal of South East governors to implement the Consolidated Health Salary Structure, CONHESS, for medical and health workers in their states.

Meanwhile, the Abia State chapter of the union has issued a 21-day ultimatum to the state government to implement the salary structure or face lawful action.

This was contained in a communiqué issued by the medical and health workers during their zonal meeting held in Umuahia on Thursday.

The communiqué was signed by Okoro Ogbonnaya and Nwaneri Ikechi, respectively, national and zonal officers.

The South East members of the union, who specifically identified Abia and Enugu as some of the defaulting states, pledged to mobilise support for the Abia State chapter in solidarity with their demands when necessary.

The workers lamented that scientific officers, livestock workers, and veterinary staff are excluded from benefiting from CONHESS despite their exposure to hazardous working conditions.

According to them, South East governors are currently making efforts to distort and deny the union and its members in the zone the full implementation of CONHESS.

“The meeting took an overview of the current situation in Abia State, where the state council has issued a 21-day ultimatum to the state government, and pledged to mobilise the zone in solidarity when necessary,” they stated.

The union members, while thanking Governor Alex Otti for the regular payment of salaries, regretted that his administration had failed to address the CONHESS issue.

However, the Senior Special Adviser to Governor Otti on Labour Matters, Godson Anucha, who spoke to journalists after declaring the meeting open, assured that the governor would address their complaints, noting that embarking on a strike would not be the best option.