SKELETAL services were seen being rendered at the Federal Neuro-psychiatric Hospital Yaba on Monday as the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) begin a nationwide strike.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that NLC, had ordered workers to begin an indefinite nationwide strike following the May 31 deadline for the Federal Government to approve and implement a new National Minimum Wage.
NAN also reports that last minute intervention on Sunday night by the National Assembly to prevent the nationwide strike was futile as the meeting with government representatives and labour leaders ended in a deadlock.
The Federal Government had insisted on N60,000 as the new minimum wage, while labour demanded N495,000 as what was acceptable to the unions.
NAN correspondent, who monitored the level of compliance at the hospital reports that few health workers including doctors and nurses were seen in the hospital rendering skeletal services to the patients.
The number of outgoing patients did not reduce due to the strike, as almost the same number of patients were seen on ground just like every other normal day.
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A resident doctor with the hospital who pleaded anonymity told NAN that the resident doctors were at work irrespective of the ongoing nationwide strike.
The doctor explained that the residents doctor were at work because the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) was not directly under NLC.
He added that even other doctors like the consultant psychiatrists were at work because they too were not directly under Labour.
“Because the ARD is not directly under NLC, so we are at work, but, work and activities will not be as normal due to the ongoing strike because some other health workers like the nurses, who are under NLC are observing the strike.
“This is not something that started today; right from time, the resident doctors and even consultant psychiatrists normally are not directly under NLC.
“So, strikes like this; we don’t always fully observe it,” he said.
A psychiatric nurse with the hospital, who also pleaded anonymity, said that the nurses were at work despite the ongoing strike.
She explained that the nurses were working despite the ongoing strike because, they were not in union.
According to her, the Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital Yaba Lagos, ceased to function since over two years ago when its major executives left the country for abroad in search of greener pastures.
“So, we the nurses are at work because we are not in union presently.
“If we join the strike, the management of the hospital may use that against us because we are not in union for now.
“The nurses’ union of the hospital ceased to operate over two years ago when its major executives left the country to operate abroad,” she said. (NAN)
