Government promises health workers improved salaries

The Minister of Health, Babatunde Oshotimehin, has appealed to workers in the health sector to refrain from embarking on strike as a weapon of negotiation because “the health sector needs peace in order for us to deliver on our mandate to the Nigerian public”.

He made this appeal on Monday evening in Abuja, in response to a threat by health unions to commence a nationwide strike in protest over a new welfare package recently announced for doctors.

Mr. Oshotimehin said the agreement reached with the doctors was not to the exclusion of other professionals within the sector.

“Indeed, the date of commencement of the agreement with the doctors was deliberately fixed for the 1st of January, 2010, to give room for the conclusion of negotiations with the other unions so that all professionals in the sector can begin to enjoy the new welfare package at the same time, without any favouritism as being alleged by the unions,” he said.

“The agreement with the doctors was an outcome of negotiations that has been on for several months, which in itself is a product of an 11-year struggle by doctors for the restoration of the Medical Service Scale which they used to enjoy before the introduction of CONTISS.”

He said that the ongoing negotiations between government and the unions would still continue to enable both sides reach an agreement on the issues involved.

“Dialogue has to continue in order for us to get to an amicable solution at the end of the day,” he said.

Working together

The minister restated the importance of each category of workers in the health sector to quality health care delivery to Nigerians. He also noted that even the cleaners in the hospitals are important, as professionals in the sector cannot be effective without a clean and conducive physical environment within which to carry out their duties.

He urged the workers to have confidence in the current negotiation process as the government is committed to the welfare of all its workers in not only the health sector, but across the board.

“Every party needs to come to the table with an open mind, because the health team must work together since we cannot work without each other,” he said.