The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, again on Wednesday said that the Federal Government would not pay health workers (JOHESU) who had been on strike since April 17.
The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, stated this during a telephone interview with The PUNCH, just as Justice Sanusi Kado of the National Industrial Court in Abuja ordered the union to call off its strike latest Friday.
JOHESU, which comprises all health professionals excluding medical doctors, had declared a nationwide strike on April 17, 2018, despite pleas from the Federal Government.
The Federal Government consequently implemented a ‘No work, no pay’ policy thereby stopping the April and May salaries of the striking workers.
Adewole said, “We are not paying them any arrears. We will only pay them for the 17 days they worked in April. However, any health official who worked during the strike would be paid in full. Some of them actually worked all through the strike.”
There was confusion on Wednesday on whether the union would call off its strike as ordered by the industrial court.
The Vice-President of JOHESU, Chiemelie Ogbonna, in an interview with journalists outside the court, said the union would abide by the court order and call off its strike by Friday, June 1, 2018.But later on Wednesday, the President of the union, Mr. Biobelemoye Josiah, in an interview with journalists after a meeting with the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, said negotiations were still going on.