Nurses, midwives protest exclusion from 40% pay rise

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Nurses, midwives protest exclusion from 40% pay rise

The National Association Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, Federal Health Institution sector, has decried the exclusion of its members in the recent 40 per cent pay rise for federal workers.

The association expressed its displeasure in a statement on Sunday by its National Chairman, Mr Morakinyo-Olajide Rilwan.

Rilwan said the attention of nurses and midwives in federal health institutions was drawn to the 40 per cent pay rise and they found their oughtright exclusion as an aberration and an attempt to cause crisis in the system.

Rilwan said nurses and other health workers had been calling for salary adjustment since 2016, with several committees set up to this effect but nothing had been done.

He said the Federal Government had no justification to exclude some sections of civil servants, especially in the health sector from the pay rise since everyone, including the workers, patronise the same market and pay same bills.

He said the action was also coming when there was an exodus of nurses and midwives out of the country for greener pastures with aftermath effect of increase in workload on the few nurses on ground.

Rilwan said, “Instead of motivating those health workers, who have agreed to stay in the country to salvage the health system by this pay rise, the best thing government thought they could do was to exclude nurses!

“The last time Consolidated Health Salary Scale was adjusted was in 2010 and most of the allowances due to nurses were being short-paid, for instance 30 per cent shift allowance with less than 10 per cent being paid to nurses.

“Many things are causing agitation, including Nurses Special Salary Structure.

“However, we are just getting the news this weekend and we are studying the situation while consultation with relevant stakeholders is ongoing, especially our parent body.

“But the fact is that our members are not happy with the exclusion and we cannot continue keeping quiet.

“Nurses have suffered enough neglect and deprivation as front line workers in health sector.”