Dr. Chris Ngige, the Minister of Labour and Employment, has presented the demands of various unions that had embarked on a strike to President Muhammadu Buhari for his possible intervention.
Ngige disclosed this on Friday while fielding questions from State House correspondents after his presentation at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The minister disclosed that he briefed the President on the strikes embarked upon by various unions in the country.
According to him, Buhari directed Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, his Chief of Staff, and other relevant stakeholders to make sure that they resolved the problems with the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) so that the ongoing strike could be called off.
“I’ve to brief the President on the labour industrial milieu in the country. You know that we’re like in a season of strikes.
“We’ve the strike baton by the resident doctors, actively supported by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA). And we held certain meetings at which we reached some agreements in a conciliation.
“And I had to brief him ahead of the efforts we’re making in those areas like we agreed that the hazard allowance should be reviewed.
“And as a matter of fact, before they embarked on the strike, my ministry and the Presidential Committee on Salaries had initiated what we can call a pre-emptive arrangement to make for further discussion by all the stakeholders,” he said.
Ngige added, “Federal Ministry of Health, Salary, Income and Wages Commission, the health unions, the NMA that’s leading the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), Association of Dental and Medical consultants, Association of General Duty Doctors, and others.
“That meeting has kick-started. And we know from our initial meetings and the data we’ve, we have an idea of what amount of money will be consumed or utilised to effect this change, which is going to be a permanent change.
“And when we started the payment, it gulped a whopping N32bn. So, we’re working now to make the health workers feel that they’re appreciated and that the efforts are appreciated by the government. So, I’ve briefed him on that too.”
Unions’ strike: Details of Chris Ngige’s meeting with Buhari emerge
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