Health workers in Gombe state under the auspices of the Joint Health Sector Workers Unions (JOHESU) and the Assembly of Health Professionals have embarked on a seven-day warning strike.
The state chapter chairman of the union, Comrade Abdulsalam Yakubu disclosed this on Wednesday in a press statement.
He said health workers decided to embark on the industrial action following the expiration of the 21-day ultimatum given to the state government and its failure to meet their demands.
He said the demands include resumption of payment of the new minimum wage, which was suspended by the state government just after one month, “under the pretense of fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Comrade Yakubu added that the union is also calling for payment of 10 percent of the new minimum wage to health workers in the LGAs which hitherto were not part of the beneficiaries of the new minimum wage.
“Our other demands includes implementation of promotion and payment of accrued arrears to both state and local government health workers, domestication of risk allowance due to COVID-19, implementation of internship program for nurses among other things,” he said.
The chairman warned that if the government failed to implement their demands within the next seven days, they would be left with no other option than to proceed to an indefinite strike.