We expected new minimum wage but received something not up to our previous salaries,’ LAUTECH Teaching Hospital workers lament, protest

Workers of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso, Oyo state, Monday poured out into the streets, locking up the gates to the hospital and doors to the administrative building.

When ogbomosoinsightonline.com arrived at the hospital, many of the workers belonging to different unions were seen in groups in a pensive mood discussing in an angry tone.

According to findings the workers were protesting as a result of the “shocked salaries” they claimed they received for January, which they said was even lower than their previous salary.

Comrade Olabaniyi David, chairman, Joint Health Sector Unions and Assembly of Health Care Professionals (JOHESU), said, “What they paid us is not what we envisaged, we were expectant and jubilant when other categories of workers in the state’s employ were paid the new minimum wage, but when our members started to receive alert for January over the weekend, it was lower than what we even earned in December. So, we are gathered here to hear from the management.”

Similarly, Comrade Olaniran Jubril Adebayo, chairman of the Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP), disclosed, “Over the weekend, when alert for salary dropped, many of us burst into tears, we were expecting minimum wage but instead the salary paid was reduced, less than our previous take home.

“Aside, arrears owed us were not paid, one is the 2018 to 2023 arrears, though they paid promotional benefits’ arrears of four months. We discovered that the tax rate had been increased without increasing the salary.

So, it has been hectic because our members are accusing us of betrayal, that we subverted them. They paid us with the 2019 scale but with a higher tax.”

He stated further that they learnt the management made the effort but that the subvention to the school got reduced.

Comrade Olajide Bukola of the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUM) also lamented that the management held no meeting with them, “we don’t know what is happening, that is why we are protesting.”