By Oluyemi Israel,
The National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives has given the Federal Government a seven-day strike notice.
It noted that it had warned nurses in all federal hospitals that they would stop work on Tuesday, July 29, at midnight if their demands were not met.
According to the association, the nurses wants higher pay, fair allowances for shifts and call duties, and safer, more comfortable working conditions, and that it has rejected a June 27 circular from the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission, which had frozen or cut key allowances.
NANNM-FHI said the notice had been signed by National Secretary Nurse Enya Osinachi and issued by President Nurse Morakinyo Olajide Rilwan in Abuja.
It added that it represented every nurse employed in federal health facilities across Nigeria.
The association said that the move followed an emergency National Executive Council meeting in Abuja on July 10 and that on July 14 it had given the government a 15-day deadline to respond, but noted that the deadline had passed without any reply.
It said that when the government failed to act, the association had released the seven-day strike warning on Monday and that starting on July 29, nurses would fully withdraw all services, no patient care, no administrative work, and no support tasks, in every federal hospital and clinic.
Finally, NANNM-FHI urged the Federal Government and the Ministry of Health to begin talks immediately, stressing that nurses provided 60 to 70 percent of hospital services and deserved fair treatment, good pay, and proper recognition for their vital work.