In order to explore the ongoing discussions with the Federal Ministry of Health to pursue a logical conclusion and peaceful resolution of their disagreement, the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) has postponed its industrial action earlier scheduled for today.
The association had last Monday lamented that a series of judgments since 1981 directing government to professionalize nursing had been ignored. It particularly drew attention to the 1984 Tribunal of Industrial Arbitration Panel, which bothered on nurses’ professionalism, autonomy and scheme of service, among others.
However, in a statement yesterday, NANNM said that “arising from its negotiation over the impending nationwide strike, it has decided to extend its earlier ultimatum by seven days to enable the Federal Government implement the NIC judgment”.
The statement by NANNM President, Abdulrafiu Alani Adeniji, said “The planned strike will no longer hold. There was a meeting on Thursday where the contentious issues were exhaustively discussed and the way forward agreed to by all parties involved.
“Then the leadership of the association, after their own meeting yesterday, communicated their decision to call off the strike to the Minister of Health”.
The association, however, stressed that the strike was only suspended by one week. Also, it noted that it exempted members in Borno State from taking part in the proposed industrial action so as to prevent straining the already bad security and social welfare situation in that state.
