The National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) has refuted claims made by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Pate, that its members have suspended their warning strike.
The union insists the strike, which began last Wednesday, is still in effect.
In a statement, Omomo Tibiebi, the National Public Relations Officer of the Federal Health Institutions sector of NANNM, clarified the union’s position.
He stated that the industrial action has not been called off, directly contradicting the minister’s earlier announcement.
“The strike has not been suspended,” Tibiebi said. “Earlier today, NANNM executives held a meeting with the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, and it was the minister who went to the press to claim the strike had been called off.
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“But he wasn’t the one who called the strike in the first place, so he has no right to declare it suspended. The strike is still on.”
He further disclosed that the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) would convene on Saturday to assess the Federal Government’s offers and decide the next line of action.
“There will be a NEC meeting tomorrow (Saturday), and that’s when a decision will be made. We will then determine if what the Federal Government has promised is sufficient for us to suspend the strike,” he added.
The nurses’ warning strike, which began last Wednesday, was initiated to press for several key demands. These include an upward review of shift and uniform allowances, and the creation of a distinct salary structure tailored for nurses.
The striking nurses are also demanding an increase in their core duty allowance, the mass recruitment of more nurses, and the establishment of a dedicated nursing department within the Federal Ministry of Health.
 has refuted claims made by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Pate, that its members have suspended their warning strike.){kind=link}