By Yinka Adeniran, Ibadan
Selected medical and non-medical workers, under the aegis of Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP), University College Hospital (UCH) branch, yesterday began an indefinite strike.
The Chairman, Oladayo Olabampe, ordered the workers, who had turned up for duty, to shut their doors and vacate the hospital premises after an earlier news briefing and peaceful protest staged round the facility.
He said by the decision, health professionals, including medical laboratory scientists, physiotherapists, radiographies, dieticians, dental technologists, occupational therapists, health information management, nutritionists, social workers, speech therapists, dental therapists, optometrists, clinical psychologists, prosthetics/orthotics, medical physics, audiology, EEG and ECG specialists, among others, would not be available for service until the matters that led to the strike were resolved.
Explaining the rationale that forced the union to adopt the option of strike, Olabampe said their grievances bordered on non-payment of salaries of some regular workers as well as the irregular payment of salary for health professional interns.
He said the decision on strike came as a last resort after consultation and dialogue yielded no result.
Contacted, UCH spokesman Toye Akinrinlola said it is not UCH that is owing the workers, but a result of shortage of funds from Abuja.
He said top management of the hospital, including the Chief Medical Director, Prof. Jesse Otegbeye and the director of Finance are in Abuja trying to resolve the issue, adding that as soon as more funds are made available, the issues will be addressed.
Presenting a speech titled: ‘We are hungry’, during the news conference, the NUAHP chairman listed the demands of the union to include: “Immediate payment of salaries of members of the union who have worked for five months without pay.
“Immediate payment of balance of salaries of all interns who are being paid on pro rata basis from January 2021 to date.
“Immediate stoppage of all forms of discriminatory action of UCH management and by extension, the Federal Government against the union.”
He said: “Salaries and allowances of all workers of UCH from January to May 2021 should be paid without further delay because workers deserve their pay.”
Akinrinlola, however, urged the Federal Government to act accordingly on the matter if industrial harmony is to be guaranteed.
He appealed to the patients accessing the facility to bear with the striking workers.
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