UNIOSUN hospital workers threaten strike over proposed privatisation plan
Workers at the Osun State University Teaching Hospital, UNIOSUNTH, have threatened to shut down the facility from Monday over a proposed Public-Private Partnership arrangement covering several medical and support services. The threat followed a protest staged by members of the Joint Action Committee of unions at the teaching hospital in Osogbo on Thursday. The unions said they were […] UNIOSUN…
The Joint Action Committee of unions at the Osun State University Teaching Hospital (UNIOSUNTH) has threatened to shut down the facility from Monday following a proposed Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement for several medical and support services. The unions, which include laborers, nurses, and midwives, staged a protest at the hospital in Osogbo on Thursday and issued a 14-day ultimatum to hospital management to address their concerns or face an indefinite strike.
The unions object to the introduction of the PPP without adequate consultation, asserting that management bypassed them when interviewing potential employees for a private laboratory despite previous agreements to maintain the status quo. The unions argue that the existing laboratory generates over 100% revenue, rendering the proposed private lab unnecessary.
They also accuse the hospital of blaming workers for shortages of laboratory consumables and reagents, stating that the existing facility could function better with proper supply. The unions have accused management of failing to meet for a scheduled meeting with the governing board, leading to a peaceful protest in their demands for the abandonment of the PPP and the enhancement of existing services through the provision of necessary equipment, reagents, and consumables.
The hospitals' governing board has stated that the dispute would be resolved through discussions with the unions, emphasizing that PPP arrangements are common in Nigeria's healthcare sector and have been implemented in other major hospitals, including facilities in Ife and Ibadan.
Written by urgent.news from Daily Post Nigeria's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
