Why DELSUTH Workers Embarked on Strike

Health workers in the Delta State University Teaching Hospital, (DELSUTH), Oghara, under the aegis of the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU), have embarked on three days warning strike to protest the alleged infrastructural decay in the institution and the marginalization of the union by management of DELSUTH.

The Chairman of the union, Comrade James Ogheneovo Ufuoma, who confirmed the industrial action in a telephone conversation with our correspondents, said that the warning strike became imperative as the management of DELSUTH has decided to pay deaf ear to theirdemand.

Comrade Ufuoma disclosed that the action will enable the union to press home its demands on issues relating to the deteriorating infrastructures, non implementation of workers’ promotion, payment of arrears, and the inappropriate management of the contributory pension fund. “We have embarked on the three day warning strike to protest management’s indifference to the decay of infrastructures.

For some time now, our oxygen generation and control plant has stopped working, electricity power generating set has been faulty for over a month now and the management has not shown concern about our welfare.

When we say anything, they always tell us that they will look into it, yet nothing happens”, he observed. In retrospect, he stated that, “When we went on strike last year, the Commissioner for Transportation, Hon. Ben

Igbakpa, intervened and promised us that our demands would be met before September, 2014, but nothing was done to that effect. When the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Enaduhobor Otobor, came yesterday (Thursday), he claimed that he was not informed about our demands”, Ufuoma added. “We don’t care to know who is deceiving us. We will resume our services on Tuesday to give them three weeks ultimatum to meet our demands, failure of which, wewill embark on an indefinite strike. That is what the constitution of the Labour Union states”, the Union leader warned.

A source, who preferred anonymity, revealed that some of the workers displayed placards with inscriptions suggesting the immediate removal of the Chief Medical Director,

Dr. Leslie Esimaje Akpriaye, who is said to have travelled out of town for some time now and could not be reached on his mobile telephone.