Activities at the National Eye Centre, Kaduna, was yesterday paralysed as workers of the hospital embarked on? strike following the implementation of the non skipping of CONTISS/CONHESS10 by the management of the hospital.
Addressing newsmen at the premises of the hospital , the Chairman of the Senior Staff Association? of the National eye centre Kaduna, Aliyu Olorunfemi said that the implementation of the non skipping of CONTISS 10 by the Hospital management was a breach of resolutions reached at the end of the meeting held at the instance of the? Minister of Labour and Productivity with representatives of the office of the Head of Service of the Federation, the office of the Secretary to the Federal Government, National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission, Ministry of Health, and the representatives of the Five Trade Unions comprising of the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) on the 16th July, 2012.
But the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the eye centre, Chief (Dr.) Godwin Adejoh who spoke to newsmen in reaction to the position of the striking health workers of the hospital said, he acted on a circular he received from the Ministry of Health that the non skipping of CONTISS 10 should be adhered to by all hospitals or face sanctions if done otherwise.
According to the CMD, “ the circular I received from the ministry of health was dated the 29th August, 2012 and was copied to my mail on the 31st August, 2012 asking that the non skipping of the CONTISS 10 should be implemented pending the Judgement of the National Industrial Court (NIC) which is sitting on the matter.
“The circular also added that any institution who fails to comply with the order will be made to face sanction and the CMDs of such institution be held responsible”.
On the contrary, the striking workers alleged that, the CMD had commenced the implementation of the non skipping of CONTISS 10 on the 17th August, 2012 even before he received the circular, following a text message he received.
The CMD however said, upon the receipt of a letter from the union leaders of the Hospital that they were going to embark on a strike action following the implementation of the non skipping of CONTISS10, that he called a meeting with them and advice them, expressing surprises why they still went ahead to embark on the strike.
The leadership of the striking workers told newsmen that they were acting upon the directive of the JOHESU that any hospital that implements the none skipping of the CONTISS 10, workers of such hospital should embark on a strike action to press home their demands.
Mr Olurufemi therefore said, “We have no plans to call off the strike until we receive a directive from the national umbrella body to do so.”
Meanwhile, when newsmen visited the hospital wards, it was practically empty even though it was learnt that Medical Doctors of the centre are not participating in the strike action.
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