Oyo nurses suspend their two-month strike for a month and await a response from the state government.

The union leader, Dr Samuel AdeyemiThis was disclosed to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Ibadan.

NAN recalls that nurses and midwives in government hospitals and health centres began an indefinite strike on May 21. NAN also reports that the industrial action has taken its toll on patients who flock to hospitals daily because of the lack of nurses and midwives available to them.

NANNM’s demands include urgent mass recruitment of nurses and midwives and correction of the incorrect date on members’ promotion letters due for 2017/2018.

Other demands include the introduction and implementation of lateral entry/career advancement programs for nursing staff, as is already practiced in other federal states. The association is also demanding the payment of the withheld salary arrears for 2011, which it says were paid to other employees.

Adeyemi said the strike was suspended for a month because the state government had promised to meet their demands, adding that this was also to enable the implementation of the remaining approved protests.

“Against this backdrop, all our members across the state have been instructed to resume work from Wednesday. We are optimistic that the government will not relent in its efforts to meet all our demands,” said Adeyemi.