JOHESU URGE FG TO USE EXISTING TEMPLATE TO REVIEW HAZARD ALLOWANCE

The Joint Health Sector Union and the Assembly of Healthcare Professional Associations have urged the Federal Government to review the hazard allowance for health workers based on the existing template.

JOHESU National Chairman, Biobelemoye Josiah, in a statement on Wednesday, said the term ‘clinical and non-clinical staff’ was an arbitrary terminology alien to the lexicons and statutes in the Nigerian public services and should not be used for the purposes of ranking or categorisation of Nigeria workers including those in the health sector.

The statement was titled, ‘Facts on the Issue of Hazard Allowance for Health Sector Workers in Government Health Establishment.’

 “This memo seeks to guide the Federal Government team, stakeholders and consumers of health in resolving stress junctures in the negotiation of hazard allowance for health sector workers in government health establishments.

“JOHESU/AHPA is hinging its submissions on the 2014 report of the Collective Bargaining Committee which reviewed the 2009 CBA between the FG and JOHESU.  We shall also rely on the treaties of the ILO and the provisions of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 Constitution.

“We, therefore, demand that the over two-decade hazard allowance template of flat pay for hazard across board be maintained and should be the basis for the proposed upward review of hazard allowance by the Federal Government. The format prescribed by the FMoH at the inception of the FG-Stakeholders dialogue is most apt in the circumstance.

“JOHESU also demand that the proposed review of the hazard allowance be solely predicated on the distinctive classification of medical and health workers as established in Nigeria by relevant authorities in accordance with the extant schemes of service, rules and statutes in the Nigerian public service which rely on grade levels.

“We always maintain that there is basic humanity that is shared by all health workers which makes them all vulnerable to same general risk factors and hazards. This was the consideration in 2009 when equal hazard allowances were approved for all health workers in Nigeria. In special situations like pandemics or epidemic, special inducement allowances which will focus on personnel skill levels, the peculiarity of exposure may apply to take care of graded allowances,” the statement partly reads.