The National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Federal Health Institutions (FHI) sector, has refuted claims by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, that their ongoing strike has been suspended.
Speaking through its National Public Relations Officer, Omomo Tibiebi, the union clarified that the industrial action, which began on Wednesday, July 29, remains in effect, contrary to the minister’s statement made to the press after a closed-door meeting in Abuja on Friday.
“The strike has not been suspended,” Tibiebi stated. “While a meeting was held with the minister, it was he who went to the media with that announcement. He is not the one who declared the strike and therefore cannot call it off.”
Tibiebi revealed that the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) is scheduled to meet on Saturday to deliberate on the Federal Government’s proposals and determine whether they are sufficient grounds to end the strike.
The nurses had embarked on a nationwide warning strike following the Federal Government’s failure to meet their demands after the expiration of a 15-day ultimatum issued on July 24.
Their demands include a review of shift and uniform allowances, the creation of a unique salary structure for nurses, an increase in core duty allowance, large-scale recruitment of nursing staff, and the establishment of a dedicated nursing department within the Federal Ministry of Health.
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