RAYMOND OZOJI reports
Nurses in Anambra State have kicked against over what they saw as poor implementation of the new minimum wage, saying that they were not captured in the process.
They therefore queried the rationale behind the implementation formular whereby a security man with just primary school certificate got N72,000 as net salary and medical doctors got about N400,000 but registered nurses and other health workers in the state civil service staggered home with just N78,000, irrespective of Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo's directive that there should be no exemptions, discriminations or discrepancies in the implementation of the new minimum wage.
Hence massive resignation looms in the Anambra state nursing sector as nurses bemoan blight cast on them due to unfavourable working conditions as well as the embargo placed on the japa syndrome.
A nurse who pleaded anonymity for fear of being victimized, told HEADLINE NEWS that nurses in Anambra were fed up with being marginalized and relegated to the background in the scheme of things in spite of the pivotal role they played in the health sector.
The nurse disclosed that a first school leaving certificate holder was paid N72,000 while a registered midwive was paid N78,000 and a degree holder paid N82,000, describing the implementation process as an affront to the nursing profession.
The nurse therefore queried that if a primary school certificate holder got N72,000 and a professional registered nurse is paid N78,000, then how was the new minimum wage spread across board ?
The nurse equally disclosed that another very problematic issue is the entry level for nurses in the state civil service. It said a situation where a nurse with a degree is given level 8 while others got level 10 in the Anambra State Civil Service was quite appalling. That they have been remonstrating about it but their complaints have fallen on deaf ears.
According to the nurse, sometimes a level 8 nursing officer remained stagnant for close to 10 years without promotions in Anambra State. It said nurses were supposed to be paid hazard, uniform, rural posting and other allowances but none of these allowances and benefits were being implemented.
The nurse recalled that nurses in Anambra State were being paid N52,000 before the new national minimum wage issue arose. It said that the idea of a security man with a primary school certificate getting N72,000 and a registered nurse getting N78,000 puts a big question mark in the whole process.
Although the nurse stated that several letters have been written to the relevant quarters and several meetings held to ameliorate the situation but all to no avail.
It said nurses are angry because their counterparts like medlab scientists, pharmacists and medical doctors smile home with very fat salaries but nurses and other health workers are being marginalized and sidelined as if their impact are not being felt in the health sector.
The nurse therefore revealed that from the implementation of the new minimum wage, medical doctors' take home pay was about N400,000 while a registered nurse with a degree is consoled with just N78,000; meaning that a registered nurse can not feed or fend for his family.
The nurse noted that the poor conditions of service have culminated into mass exodus of nurses from Anambra State to other states of the federation in search of better conditions of service coupled with the incessant japa syndrome as young nurses crave for greener pastures overseas even though the source said government has continued to ban such capital flights.
The nurse said that another issue begging for serious attention was poor number of nurses in the hospitals. It said that a visit to psychiatric hospital Nawfia in Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State revealed that only 2 nurses attended to about 80 patients there-in, pointing out that apart from the fact that nurses are being underpaid, they are also being underemployed.
The nurse however maintained that their major requests include increase in their new minimum wage, implementation of the signed 2022 agreement for entry level 10 for degree holders in nursing profession and promotion of nurses as many of them have not been promoted for over 10 years.
The nurse told HEADLINE NEWS that nurses in Anambra State will continue to explore peaceful options in pressing home their demands but where solution is not in sight, they will have no other options but to withdraw their services and take to the streets to demand better working conditions for Anambra nurses.
When contacted by this journalist to speak on the discrepancies in the implementation of the new national minimum wage as alleged by nurses, the Chairman National Association of Nurses and Midwives Anambra State Chapter Mrs. Edith Onwuka, said she doesn't know why nurses were not captured in the implementation even though she said the governor gave an express order that there should be no exemptions.
Onwuka who is also the Chairman Joint Negotiating Council for Trade Unions in Anambra, said that Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo gave approval for all workers to be captured in the implementation process and that during negotiations, they negotiated for every worker but she could not explain why nurses and other health workers were excluded.
Onwuka said she was sure Governor Soludo didn't exclude anybody from the new national minimum wage but they are still conducting investigations to ascertain the remote reason the new minimum wage didn't reflect in the health workers' salaries.
She said the issue was not consequential adjustments but the full implementation of the new national minimum wage for all Anambra workers. That Governor Soludo graciously made provisions for the new minimum wage and consequential adjustments for those already receiving above N70,000.
She said professional health workers are not junior civil servants and that the adjustments in salaries were not made for health workers. That even as the State Chairman of Nurses and Midwives, no Kobo was added to her salary as what she received in September was what she was paid as salary in October this year.
Onwuka also disclosed that the issue of entry level for graduate nurses has been in the front burner of discussions with government and that nurses still awaited positive response from government even as she posited that the most current pressing need at the moment is the non-implementation of the new minimum wage for health workers.
Onwuka also said she was aware of the dearth of nurses in the hospitals as they were issues they would discuss with government but according to her, the most pertinent issue at hand is the implementation of the new minimum wage to reflect the workers' expectations.
She said nurses have been complaining bitterly since the salaries started dropping and some have taken to the streets to protest but they were calmed down and asked not to protest yet because Anambra is a peaceful state. That they should also give the union leaders time to jaw jaw with the government and expect positive outcomes concerning their welfare and better conditions of service.
She said they have alerted the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and they have also communicated officially in writing to the state government about the unfortunate development in the implementation of the new minimum wage in the state.
When this journalist went to the office of the Head of Service on Friday 8th November, 2024 to get details from her on the modus for implementation of the new minimum wage for Anambra workers, both the Head of Service and her secretary were not available to attend to the journalist.
Also this journalist had called the Head of Service for details on implementation of the new minimum wage on Thursday 7th November, 2024 but she neither took nor returned the calls.
The Public Relations Officer of the Office of the Head of Service was equally contacted on Thursday 7th November, 2024 by this journalist but she also did not take or returned calls from this journalist.
When this journalist made more efforts to get the PRO on the phone, she switched off her phone abruptly thereby aborting the efforts of the journalist and delayed filing of the report; which made the reporter come in person to the office of the Head of Service on Friday for details on implementation of the new minimum wage, yet the Head of Service and her secretary were not in the office.
##
Massive Resignation Looms As Nurses Protest Poor Implementation Of New Minimum Wage
RAYMOND OZOJI reports
Nurses in Anambra State have kicked against over what they saw as poor implementation of the new minimum wage, saying that they were not captured in the process.
They therefore queried the rationale behind the implementation formular whereby a security man with just primary school certificate got N72,000 as net salary and medical doctors got about N400,000 but registered nurses and other health workers in the state civil service staggered home with just N78,000, irrespective of Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo's directive that there should be no exemptions, discriminations or discrepancies in the implementation of the new minimum wage.
Hence massive resignation looms in the Anambra state nursing sector as nurses bemoan blight cast on them due to unfavourable working conditions as well as the embargo placed on the japa syndrome.
A nurse who pleaded anonymity for fear of being victimized, told HEADLINE NEWS that nurses in Anambra were fed up with being marginalized and relegated to the background in the scheme of things in spite of the pivotal role they played in the health sector.
The nurse disclosed that a first school leaving certificate holder was paid N72,000 while a registered midwive was paid N78,000 and a degree holder paid N82,000, describing the implementation process as an affront to the nursing profession.
The nurse therefore queried that if a primary school certificate holder got N72,000 and a professional registered nurse is paid N78,000, then how was the new minimum wage spread across board ?
The nurse equally disclosed that another very problematic issue is the entry level for nurses in the state civil service. It said a situation where a nurse with a degree is given level 8 while others got level 10 in the Anambra State Civil Service was quite appalling. That they have been remonstrating about it but their complaints have fallen on deaf ears.
According to the nurse, sometimes a level 8 nursing officer remained stagnant for close to 10 years without promotions in Anambra State. It said nurses were supposed to be paid hazard, uniform, rural posting and other allowances but none of these allowances and benefits were being implemented.
The nurse recalled that nurses in Anambra State were being paid N52,000 before the new national minimum wage issue arose. It said that the idea of a security man with a primary school certificate getting N72,000 and a registered nurse getting N78,000 puts a big question mark in the whole process.
Although the nurse stated that several letters have been written to the relevant quarters and several meetings held to ameliorate the situation but all to no avail.
It said nurses are angry because their counterparts like medlab scientists, pharmacists and medical doctors smile home with very fat salaries but nurses and other health workers are being marginalized and sidelined as if their impact are not being felt in the health sector.
The nurse therefore revealed that from the implementation of the new minimum wage, medical doctors' take home pay was about N400,000 while a registered nurse with a degree is consoled with just N78,000; meaning that a registered nurse can not feed or fend for his family.
The nurse noted that the poor conditions of service have culminated into mass exodus of nurses from Anambra State to other states of the federation in search of better conditions of service coupled with the incessant japa syndrome as young nurses crave for greener pastures overseas even though the source said government has continued to ban such capital flights.
The nurse said that another issue begging for serious attention was poor number of nurses in the hospitals. It said that a visit to psychiatric hospital Nawfia in Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State revealed that only 2 nurses attended to about 80 patients there-in, pointing out that apart from the fact that nurses are being underpaid, they are also being underemployed.
The nurse however maintained that their major requests include increase in their new minimum wage, implementation of the signed 2022 agreement for entry level 10 for degree holders in nursing profession and promotion of nurses as many of them have not been promoted for over 10 years.
The nurse told HEADLINE NEWS that nurses in Anambra State will continue to explore peaceful options in pressing home their demands but where solution is not in sight, they will have no other options but to withdraw their services and take to the streets to demand better working conditions for Anambra nurses.
When contacted by this journalist to speak on the discrepancies in the implementation of the new national minimum wage as alleged by nurses, the Chairman National Association of Nurses and Midwives Anambra State Chapter Mrs. Edith Onwuka, said she doesn't know why nurses were not captured in the implementation even though she said the governor gave an express order that there should be no exemptions.
Onwuka who is also the Chairman Joint Negotiating Council for Trade Unions in Anambra, said that Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo gave approval for all workers to be captured in the implementation process and that during negotiations, they negotiated for every worker but she could not explain why nurses and other health workers were excluded.
Onwuka said she was sure Governor Soludo didn't exclude anybody from the new national minimum wage but they are still conducting investigations to ascertain the remote reason the new minimum wage didn't reflect in the health workers' salaries.
She said the issue was not consequential adjustments but the full implementation of the new national minimum wage for all Anambra workers. That Governor Soludo graciously made provisions for the new minimum wage and consequential adjustments for those already receiving above N70,000.
She said professional health workers are not junior civil servants and that the adjustments in salaries were not made for health workers. That even as the State Chairman of Nurses and Midwives, no Kobo was added to her salary as what she received in September was what she was paid as salary in October this year.
Onwuka also disclosed that the issue of entry level for graduate nurses has been in the front burner of discussions with government and that nurses still awaited positive response from government even as she posited that the most current pressing need at the moment is the non-implementation of the new minimum wage for health workers.
Onwuka also said she was aware of the dearth of nurses in the hospitals as they were issues they would discuss with government but according to her, the most pertinent issue at hand is the implementation of the new minimum wage to reflect the workers' expectations.
She said nurses have been complaining bitterly since the salaries started dropping and some have taken to the streets to protest but they were calmed down and asked not to protest yet because Anambra is a peaceful state. That they should also give the union leaders time to jaw jaw with the government and expect positive outcomes concerning their welfare and better conditions of service.
She said they have alerted the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and they have also communicated officially in writing to the state government about the unfortunate development in the implementation of the new minimum wage in the state.
When this journalist went to the office of the Head of Service on Friday 8th November, 2024 to get details from her on the modus for implementation of the new minimum wage for Anambra workers, both the Head of Service and her secretary were not available to attend to the journalist.
Also this journalist had called the Head of Service for details on implementation of the new minimum wage on Thursday 7th November, 2024 but she neither took nor returned the calls.
The Public Relations Officer of the Office of the Head of Service was equally contacted on Thursday 7th November, 2024 by this journalist but she also did not take or returned calls from this journalist.
When this journalist made more efforts to get the PRO on the phone, she switched off her phone abruptly thereby aborting the efforts of the journalist and delayed filing of the report; which made the reporter come in person to the office of the Head of Service on Friday for details on implementation of the new minimum wage, yet the Head of Service and her secretary were not in the office.
##
0 Comments