Warning strike: Nurses fault Minister’s claim, say industrial action still on

The National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives – Federal Health Institutions Sector, has denied  suspending its ongoing nationwide seven-day warning strike.

The National Public Relations Officer of NANNM-FHI, Omomo Tibiebi, clarified on Friday that the strike, which began on Wednesday, remains in effect despite a meeting with the minister earlier in the day.

The nurses embarked on the strike to press home their long-standing demands, including an upward review of shift allowance, adjustment of uniform allowance, a separate salary structure for nurses, an increase in core duty allowance, mass recruitment of nurses, and the establishment of a nursing department in the Federal Ministry of Health, among others.

Recall that the Health Minister has earlier announced that nurses had agreed to suspend their warning strike after a meeting in Abuja.

But Tibiebi said, “The strike has not been suspended.

“He (Minister) wasn’t the one that called the strike in the first place, so he has no right to call off the strike. So, the strike is still on.”

He added that the union’s National Executive Council would meet on Saturday to review the Federal Government’s promises and determine the next line of action.

“There will be a National Executive Council meeting by tomorrow (Saturday), and that’s when a decision will be made, and we would know if what the Federal Government has promised is good enough for us to suspend the strike,” he said.