Workers at the former University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital (UNIMEDTH) facility in Akure, Ondo State, on Monday, protested alleged forced integration into the Federal University of Technology Akure Teaching Hospital (FUTATH).
Ondo hospital workers alleges forced integration into FUTATH
They also protested against an alleged three months of unpaid salaries, and omission of some employees’ names from FUTATH’s published staff list.
The workers marched from the facility to the Ondo State House of Assembly and the Governor’s Office, demanding urgent government intervention to address their grievances and protect their employment rights.
A major concern raised during the peaceful demonstration was the alleged attempt to compel some workers to integrate into FUTATH against their wishes.
The protesting employees insisted that any decision concerning their integration into the federal institution must be made through a fair and transparent process, rather than have it imposed on them without their consent.
“We do not want the management to force our members to join FUTATH against their wishes,” the workers said, urging the state government to intervene in the dispute.
They also called for the immediate payment of their outstanding salaries, lamenting that the three-month delay had placed affected employees under financial pressure.
According to the workers, the prolonged non-payment of salaries has made it increasingly difficult for them to meet their family responsibilities and other financial obligations.
“We are demanding urgent action regarding our three months of unpaid salaries,” they said, stressing that employees should not be expected to continue working without receiving their entitlements.
The protest also drew attention to the omission of some workers’ names from a staff list published by FUTATH, a development the employees said had created uncertainty about the affected individuals’ employment status and future.
They maintained that some of those excluded from the list were bona fide staff members and called on the relevant authorities to explain the omissions and clarify the status of the affected employees.
“Some workers are bona fide staff members, yet their names are missing from the list published by FUTATH,” the protesters said.
They therefore, demanding justice, recognition and clear decisions regarding their employment.
Among other demands, the workers urged the Ondo State Government and hospital management to resolve the outstanding salary issue.
They demanded that issues surrounding the staff list should be addressed, and also ensure that any integration arrangement respects the rights of all affected employees.
They further demanded that no worker be left without clarification on their employment status, entitlements and future within the institution.
The demonstration ended with a call for justice for all affected employees, as the protesters warned against continued work without payment of their salaries.
“No salary, no work! Justice for all affected workers!,” they declared, as they expressed solidarity with their colleagues and the new institution.
The protesting workers concluded with the words: “Long live our workers! Long live FUTATH! Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria!”
