In a swift response amid at preventing the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), Assembly of Healthcare Professional Associations (AHPA) from crippling the country’s health sector, the Federal Government has constituted a seven man technical committee to fine-tune adjustments in the new Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS).
For the records, CONHESS is the salary scale structure used by the federal government of Nigeria to pay health workers, such as Nurses, Pharmacists, Physiotherapists, Medical Laboratory Scientists, and Radiographers.
Membership of the Committe comprises of two (2) Representatives of Joint Health Sector Union JOHESU, and one representative each of the National Salaries Income and Wages Commission (NSIWC), Budget Office, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment (FML&E), Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH), Head of Civil Service of the Federation (HOCSOF), Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).
Bringing this information to the fore, the health workers in a statement signed by National Chairman of JOHESU, Josiah Biobelemoye in Abuja, Thursday, noted that it was necessary for the union to give government the benefit of doubt in the implementation of CONHESS.
Journalists were also hinted that government’s decision to set up the Committee, was largely the reason both unions stall their proposed their industrial action, slated to commence this week.
“JOHESU Leadership reviewed the totality of the meeting of October 6, 2021 at the instance of the Federal Government team comprising of National Salaries Income and Wages Commission (NSIWC), Budget Office, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment (FML&E), Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH), Head of Civil Service of the Federation (HOCSOF), Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), which was graced by JOHESU/AHPA leadership.
“After a thorough evaluation of the meeting, JOHESU/AHPA resolved as follows: we applaud the decision of the meeting to guarantee the participation of all the five Trade Unions and AHPA at the sessions relating to matters pertaining to Adjustment of CONHESS, noting with strong emphasis that this guarantees the laudable spirit of participatory industrial democracy.
“We also welcome the constitution of a 7-man technical team at the meeting comprising two (2) Representatives of JOHESU, and one representative each of the National Salaries Income and Wages Commission (NSIWC), Budget Office, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment (FML&E), Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH), Head of Civil Service of the Federation (HOCSOF), Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).
“We call on the Technical team to fulfil its mandate of coming up with an acceptable sum dedicated to the utilisation of adjustment of CONHESS within a reasonable timeline. We approved the timeline of two (2) weeks in the first instance that was resolved by the committee at the October 6, 2021 meeting as a step in the right direction.
“Following these arrangement, leadership under the aegis of JOHESU/AHPA requested that the FMoH should conclude negotiations with JOHESU/AHPA on all other subject matters as epitomised in the demand list of JOHESU/AHPA to the Federal Government.
“We therefore appeal to our members to wait patiently for the outcome of the report of the Technical team on adjustment of CONHESS and other demands as this will realistically form the basis of the next line of action for JOHESU/AHPA in the days to come,” the statement noted.
