In a statement jointly
signed by the Ebonyi State Chairman and Secretary of UGONSA, Nurse Ekum-Ojim Cynthia
and Nurse Agbo Gabriel, the association decried that it was unthinkable that
the leadership of NANNM will spend nurses money to get police from force headquarters
Abuja to whisk their fellow nurses all the way from Abakaliki to Abuja simply
for crying out that cutting 3% of their salary every month as union Checkoff
dues (COD) was outrageous and chocking and opting to pull out of NANNM if the
COD is not reduced to a flat rate of N1000 (one thousand naira) as is obtainable
in other unions.
“We do not need any
legal practitioner to remind us that freedom of association and freedom of
expression of opinions are “inalienable and fundamental human rights”. The
aggrieved nurses have not violated any law for expressing their view against
the 3% COD which in every sense is inhuman and outrageous. They did not also
commit any offense for choosing to de-unionize from NANNM pending when one-thousand naira flat rate is adopted as COD.
“This is especially as the
Trade Union Act 2005 upon which NANNM and other trade unions operate explicitly
stipulated that an employee joining a trade union must be voluntary and out of
free volition and that no employer or trade union shall coerce or intimidate
employees to join a trade union.
“Getting police from the force headquarters to whisk the aggrieved nurses to Abuja for pulling out of NANNM over the 3% COD which they considered outrageous and unbearable considering the current economic reality amounted to use of coercion and intimidation to force them to remain members of NANNM. Such violates the provision of the Trade Union Act 2005 and we strongly condemn it.
“For the umpteenth time,
we align with the national leadership of UGONSA and call on the leadership of
NANNM to hearken to common sense and logic and reduce the monthly COD to a
thousand naira flat rate as demanded by the aggrieved nurses.
It is imperative to
state so considering that the 3% COD and other monies realized from other NANNM
assets are simply for consumption and not used for any project. Whenever NANNM
wants to embark on any project, it also burdens the poor nurses, whose back has
been broken by the fangs of the unbearable 3% COD, with multiple levies. Nurses are the largest workforce in the healthcare industry and if every nurse contributes one thousand naira every
month to NANNM, it should be more than enough for recurrent expenditures if
properly put to use.
“This misguided arrest
of the aggrieved nurses has put our dear noble profession on a dark spot in the
public space. The leadership of NANNM should show remorse for this gaffe and
offer apology to the aggrieved nurses who have been physically and psychologically
abused and promptly calm frayed nerved by reverting COD to one-thousand naira
flat rate.
Really commendable effort from Ebonye state chapter.this sort of nonses should stop no evidence to show from the cod from Nurses so far.
ReplyDeleteThis doesn't portray nursing profession well
ReplyDeleteThere is a serious mix up here. The writer of the above did not quote me ( Ekuma-Ojim Judith Cynthia, the state Chairperson) right The meeting I called for the Executives on Tuesday the 20th of April 2021, in my office by 4pm was to prepare for Freedom Run event by the UNESCO, under the Spotlight Initiative program, which UGONSA signed in for. It was at that meeting that one of the excos mentioned about the said arrest. I tried to find out who carried out the arrest and I got three different answers from the three people that responded. Based on that, I called the nurse UGONSA member) that I was told was arrested. He neither picked my call, nor retuned the miss call up till now. When an exco suggested a press release, my response was that it was not yet time since we do not have adequate information on that, but that we could just carry out an investigative enquiry on all parties mentioned and decry the insecurity situation, that whatever dispute is better settled in a round table, and that no meaningful development can take place in an atmosphere of rancour and acrimony. I equally added that UGONSA will continue to play the mother role by calling a meeting of key stake holders and the arrested nurses to find out what the matter is, resolve all issues and broker peace as we make the positive change always. When I was asked about the reduction in COD, I answered that we should give the present NANNM excos some time as they are quite nascent, and that I believe that since the president, in the person of Mr Michael Nnachi is concerned about the welfare of members, that there will be light at the end of the tunnel, for this is a man that built the Ebonyi State Nurse House, we are enjoying today, with less than 12million naira then. So I am convinced that if all the nurses, graduates, non graduates, over graduates (if there is anything like that) and aggrieved should shit their swords, reason together and chart a good course, Nursing will become better and richly rewarding. NANNM is a parent body of all nurses where every other pressure groups (UGONSA) inclusive emanate. Untill I hear from the arrested, I am yet to believe that the arrest was from NANNM whether national, state or unit. So please, tell us more and the truth always. Let us promote ideas that unite us rather than those that divide us. We can achieve greater things United than divided. It can always get better. May God bless us as we become more mature and promote. peace. SHALOM! Henceforth, let no executive publish any official message without first sending to my private chart for preview. Thank you all.
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