Nurses deny suspending strike

The National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, Federal Health Institutions Sector, has denied reports that the union has suspended its ongoing nationwide warning strike. 

The National Public Relations Officer of NANNM-FHI, Omomo Tibiebi, told Punch that the seven-day strike, which began on Wednesday, July 30, continues despite a meeting with the minister earlier today. 
 

Tibiebi told the publication, “The strike has not been suspended. Earlier today, the NANNM executives had a meeting with the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, and it was the minister that went to press to say the strike was called-off. 

“He 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 tomorrow (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 stated. 
 

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.