The National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) says its ongoing industrial action has not been suspended, contradicting an earlier claim by the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Ali Pate.
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Pate had told reporters on Friday that the nurses had agreed to end their warning strike following a closed-door meeting with the union’s leadership in Abuja. According to him, the decision was reached after both sides settled key issues during the talks.
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But the association’s National Chairman, Morakinyo Rilwan, rejected the minister’s statement, insisting that the strike is still in effect. He argued that the minister has no power to announce its suspension.
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“If it was the Minister who organized the strike, then he could call it off. The strike is still ongoing. He does not have the authority to declare it suspended,” Rilwan told Daily Trust.
He added that the union has procedures to follow before a strike can be officially suspended, and none of those steps have been taken.
Hospitals across the country have been affected since NANNM began a seven-day warning strike on July 29, after the expiration of a 15-day ultimatum issued to the federal government on July 14.
The nurses are demanding improved pay, settlement of unpaid allowances, safer working conditions, and more staffing across public hospitals. The strike has disrupted services in many federal health institutions nationwide.
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