By Adegoke Adedoyin
Healthcare workers in Nigeria, represented by the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives and the Joint Health Sector Unions, have announced their participation in an upcoming strike initiated by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), set to commence on Wednesday, August 2, 2023. The NLC has been preparing for a nationwide strike that will begin on the same day.
Despite a court injunction that prohibited the congress from engaging in a strike back in June, Dr. Obinna Ogbonna, the National Vice Chairman of JOHESU, highlighted the hardships faced by health workers due to the economic downturn. He emphasized the urgent need for improved living conditions during a conversation with a correspondent from Punch. Dr. Ogbonna noted that various trade unions, including those in the health sector, the academic community, the private sector, and other industries, would join the strike if both the Trade Union Congress and the NLC mutually agree on it.
The potential strike’s implications are taken seriously as it holds significant association with the NLC, leading even the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives to participate in the planned action. Ogbonna, however, issued a warning to potential criminals seeking to exploit the situation.
On a different note, Doctor Uche Ojinmah, president of the Nigerian Medical Association, clarified that medical professionals in the country would not partake in the scheduled NLC strike. Ojinmah stated, “We would not join the strike because we are not NLC members.”