LUTH workers back to duty
By Ben Ukwuoma
THE sprawling premises of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, which has been a ghost of itself on account of the five-week industrial action, was a beehive of activities on Wednesday as the striking workers returned to their duty posts.
Although, the workers under the aegis of the Medical and Health Workers' Union of Nigeria (MAHWUN), LUTH branch called off the strike on Monday, many of them, apparently unaware of the development did not report for duty on Tuesday. Only a few patients were seen by doctors who were not part of the strike.
At the hospital on Wednesday, there was an improved number of patients in the Out Patient and Emergency Departments. All the hospital facilities, which were previously locked, have now been opened. Doctors and nurses were seen attending to patients while the medical laboratory and the pharmacy workers were at their duty posts awaiting referred patients.
The situation at the wards was slightly different. The wards, which were previously covered with dust and cobwebs, with plastic plates and medical utensils littering the floor still had empty beds. Nurses were seen chatting and exchanging banters as they awaited in-patients.
Efforts to reach the co-ordinating chairman of the unions that participated in the strike were futile. The Guardian learnt that the suspension of the strike was at the instance of the Health Minister, Prof. Eyitayo Lambo, who met with the workers' representatives at the hospital premises last week.
The minister, at the closed door meeting with the leaders of the striking unions and the LUTH management, was said to have promised the payment of outstanding allowance this month.
The meeting reportedly examined the cost implications of the 11 months arrears and the salary shortfalls, the cost implications of 19 months arrears of the 22 per cent increase and the 12 and half per cent salary increase. He appealed to the union leaders to prevail on their members to return to work.
The leaders of the union were said to have extracted from the minister a commitment that their demands would be met and that none of their members would be victimised on account of the strike.
The unions on strike under the umbrella of Medical and Health Workers Union, included the Non-academic Staff Union, National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists, National Association of Hospital Administrative Pharmacists and the National Association of Professional Secretarial Staff of Nigeria.
The unions agitated for the payment of 19 months arrears of the 22 per cent increase on Harmonised Tertiary Institution Salary Scheme, payment of 11 months arrears on the salary shotfalls and the removal of the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the hospital, Dr Tolu Odukoya.
