The WRC noted that the unprecedented and outrageous cuts of the health workers’ salaries have severely impacted health professionals across all levels of the state’s health sector.
The Workers Rights Campaign (WRC), has condemned in the strongest terms the recent salary deductions of health workers across Lagos State, describing the cuts as “criminal and totally unacceptable.”
In a statement released on Wednesday, signed by the group’s National Coordinator, Lai Brown, and National Secretary, Kelvin Ayemhenre, the WRC called for the immediate reversal of the pay cuts.
The WRC noted that the unprecedented and outrageous cuts of the health workers’ salaries have severely impacted health professionals across all levels of the state’s health sector.“The Workers Rights Campaign finds the deductions in April salaries of health workers from Grade Level 9 upwards criminal and totally unacceptable,” the group stated.
SaharaReporters on Monday reported that healthcare workers across Lagos State expressed outrage over massive, unexplained deductions from their salaries, with some staff losing between N200,000 and N600,000.
Many of them accused the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration of betrayal and financial oppression.One of the affected workers, who spoke to SaharaReporters described the situation as unprecedented and a clear indication of wickedness against them by the state government.
In its reaction, the WRC which re-echoed the workers’ lamentation said, “Workers in primary health care, general hospitals and the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) are all groaning in pain,” the statement read.
“The salaries which were not even enough to meet their needs are now being slashed in contempt of the labour law and with disdain to the workers.”The group demanded not only a full reversal of the deductions but also an upward review of salaries for health workers in the state.
“We demand the immediate reversal of these condemnable cuts. And this should not be the end. We further demand upward review of their salaries instead of slashing it,” the WRC said.
The group also criticised the state government for what it described as contradictory policies that exacerbate the ongoing brain drain in the health sector.“Health workers are the backbone of healthcare delivery.
Governments cannot be complaining about the mass migration of health workers to seek greener pastures on one hand and be paying those who have stayed back peanuts like monkeys on the other,” the group stated.
“Enough is enough. Health workers deserve better. All workers deserve better. Stop making us suffer. Pay what we are due now!” the group stressed.