By Ijendu Iheaka
November 30, 2016
Workers of Abia State University Teaching Hospital (ABSUTH), on Wednesday gave the state government the final three-day notice of its intention to proceed on indefinite strike by next Monday.
Mr Samuel Kalu, Secretary, Senior Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes and Allied Institutions (SSAUTHRIAI) ABSUTH Chapter, said this in an interview with the our reporter in Aba.
Kalu said that the planned strike was made necessary by the state government’s insensitivity to the sufferings of workers in the institution who have been working although they were owed seven months salaries.
According to him, the association in their agitation had sent several letters of complaint which were not responded to which warranted a series of warning strike letters which the government also ignored.
“We do not want to go on strike but the state government is forcing us to do so.
“We are being owed seven months’ salary arrears and we have made demands for at least three months arrears to be paid us but we have neither heard from them nor received anything,’’ he said.
Kalu said that the workers were also agitating for payment of 12 months pension to the pensioners of the institution who were being owed 27 months’ salary to save many of them from dying.
He said that the last regime approved the CONHESS salary scale for all staff of the teaching hospital but regretted that the government was implementing the salary scale only for the clinical staff leaving out non-clinical staff.
“The ABSUTH Co-operative Society deductions which we authorized to be done at source and which has amounted to over N27 million over two years now has been kept by the government for their own use which is the money workers fall back to in times of being owed salaries to support their families.
“We also demand the full implementation of CONMESS salary scale among medical and dental doctors in ABSUTH to ensure harmony in the university,’’ he said.
The letter dated Nov. 28, 2016 and made available to our reporter on Wednesday read in part, “sequel to the insensitivity of the government to the above demands, the entire workforce (ABSUTH) is forced to issue the final three days with effect from 28th November 2016.
“At the expiration of this ultimatum, there shall be no further communication rather the entire workforce will proceed on indefinite strike and Abia State Government shall be held responsible for any loss arising from the strike.’’
The letter signed by the Joint Unions Chairman, Emea Ukariwe and the Secretary, Samuel Inyama, Kalu said has been dispatched to the Abia government.
He said that if government did nothing after receiving the last warning, the workers will not come to work next Monday.
Efforts to reach the State Commissioner for Health, was blocked by the Ministry’s PRO, Mr Francis Nwogu.
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