FG, JOHESU Agree on Payment of New Hazard Allowance

Onyebuchi Ezigbo

The federal government yesterday reached a truce with aggrieved health workers of the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) on modalities for the disbursement of the N37.5 billion set aside for payment of new hazard allowance for the health sector.

The resolution was based on an earlier proposal made by the federal government for the payment of a N15,000 flat rate for JOHESU members who are entitled for hazard allowance.

THISDAY gathered that the resolution of the dispute on new hazard was one of high points of the negotiations between the government side and leadership JOHESU at a meeting that ended last night in Abuja.

An understanding was reached by both parties after a conciliation meeting at the office of the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige.

The union however said they would have to present the decisions reached to their organs before a final resolution would made.

JOHESU had earlier issued a 15-day ultimatum to the federal government to meet their demands or face an industrial action.

But, briefing journalists after the meeting which lasted about five hours, Ngige said they held fruitful discussions, assuring that the Memorandum of Understanding would be signed next week.

He said they discussed in a fraternal way and reached an understanding on all the issues in dispute, including the enhancement of hazard allowance, review of retirement age from 60 to 65 years, the arrears of the consequential adjustment of the national minimum wage and upward adjustment of Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) as done with Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS).

The Minister said both sides had no problems with the old issues presented, while the meeting agreed that the new issues should return to their employer, the Federal Ministry of Health for discussions.

On the hazard allowance, Ngige said the government had earlier held four meetings with JOSEHU and the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) alongside their affiliates, but at a point there were areas of departure.

He noted that the NMA and a union hitherto thought to be part of JOHESU, demanded for the compartmentalisation of the discussions on the hazard allowance, which the Government granted.

“Based on previous discussion, we delivered to them (JOHESU) the financial implication of what is due to them and they promised to get back to their members and report back to us.

“On the other hand, government is meeting with NMA next week for their separate discussion on hazard allowance. Already the federal government has budgeted the sum of N37.5 billion for this,” he said.

Ngige said government was not delaying the hazard allowance as some people wanted members of the public to believe.

He said the government has been making concerted efforts to put the new hazard allowance into effect since the last six months but for disagreement between NMA and JOHESU.

On the upward review of retirement age from 60 to 65 years, Ngige said the meeting received reports from the office of the Head of Service of the Federation and the Federal Ministry of Health, which both agreed on the realism of the proposal.

Ngige said the meeting agreed that the issues of non-implementation of allowances contained in the 2017 agreement, such as consequential minimum wage adjustment and skipping would be taken holistically.

Regarding the non-adjustment of CONHESS as done in CONMESS, he recalled that the matter went to the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) for adjudication, following a litigation engendered by a civil society organisation and the court remitted the issue back to JOHESU and its employer, the Federal Ministry of Health for discussion.

According to him, JOHESU would meet with the Federal Ministry of Health on Thursday to draw up with a framework for all the discussions to start.

Responding, the President of JOHESU, Mr. Biobelemoye Josiah expressed optimism that all issues raised by the unions would be positively addressed.