…..‘No Fresh Warning Before We Resume Action’ — Union
The planned strike by healthcare professionals in Katsina State has been put on hold, but the reprieve may be temporary as the workers have given the state government only a few weeks to turn its promises into concrete action.
The Assembly of Healthcare Professionals suspended the industrial action earlier scheduled to begin Tuesday, choosing dialogue over confrontation after a series of interventions by government officials and organised labour.
But in what could be seen as a final warning, the workers made it clear that the strike has only been suspended, not cancelled.
Chairman of the Assembly of Healthcare Workers Association, Comrade Ibrahim A. Balangi, disclosed this while briefing journalists in Katsina, saying the decision was taken in the interest of industrial peace and uninterrupted healthcare delivery.
He said the intervention of the Acting Head of Civil Service, Mustapha Banyi; Special Adviser on Labour and Productivity, Tenimu Saulawa; and leaders of organised labour convinced the Assembly to give the government more time.
According to him, the workers are now expecting visible progress within the next couple of weeks.
“Government has promised us, but we from the Assembly have mapped out our own deadline,” Balangi said, stressing that the beginning of the month marked the start of the period within which the government was expected to demonstrate serious commitment.
The union leader explained that although the government was not issued a formal ultimatum, the Assembly had internally set a timeline for assessing the government’s response to the workers’ demands.
He said the workers were optimistic that the ongoing negotiations would eventually address the welfare issues and other grievances that triggered the planned strike.
However, Balangi delivered a strong warning against interpreting the suspension as a complete withdrawal of the industrial action.
He said the Assembly deliberately retained the strike as a bargaining tool should the government fail to deliver on its commitments.
“Our strike, like I said, is just suspended. It is suspension of further action,” he stated.
The union boss further warned that if the expected progress failed to materialise within the period set by the Assembly, members could be directed to resume the industrial action without another notification.
He explained that the workers would simply communicate with their members and activate the suspended action when necessary.
The development has temporarily averted a possible disruption of healthcare services across Katsina State, giving patients and health facilities a reprieve.
But with the workers insisting that their patience has a limit, attention is now shifting to the state government and whether it can meet their expectations before the window closes.
For the healthcare professionals, the message is clear: the strike may have been suspended, but the pressure remains.
The Assembly said it remains committed to constructive engagement and peaceful negotiations, while urging the government to back its assurances with tangible steps towards resolving the outstanding issues.
The proposed strike was formally suspended through a communication to the state government, with the workers saying they took the decision to allow the ongoing engagement to produce a lasting and sustainable solution.
The countdown has effectively begun.
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