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Table 3 Common causes of healthcare worker strikes in Nigeria

From: Healthcare workers’ industrial action in Nigeria: a cross-sectional survey of Nigerian physicians

Description

Frequency

%

Type of comments made

Government

5

13.9

Failure of hospital management to uphold Federal Government (FG) agreements about salaries and allowances; Breach of trust by the government and government insincerity; Unfulfilled agreements reached with the Government on wages, training, equipping the hospital; Insincerity of FG and Chief Medical Directors (CMDs) in keeping to agreements and manipulation of union heads by politicians; Change of Government

Infrastructures

4

11.1

Poor hospital utility facilities (No water in wards, Poor/No doctors’ call room, etc.); Poor working environment; Security of staff; and Poor infrastructure in the hospitals

Leadership and management

5

13.9

At the core of it is welfare issues like low staff motivation; Poor communication between hospital leadership/administration and healthcare workers; Hospital leadership quick to respond to circulars from the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) that are anti-workers, but slow to respond to circulars that favour workers; Hospital leadership disconnected from the true situation of things in the hospital and unmindful of the experiences of patients; Leadership tussle

Welfare

6

16.7

For improvement in workers’ welfare; Delayed promotion; Joint Health Sector Union’s (JOHESU) demand to be appointed consultants; Failure of the management to sponsor residents’ exams and updates; Denial of basic entitlement such as salary and training sponsorship

Compensation and salary

5

13.9

Poor workers’ compensation; Inconsistent salaries; Delayed salary payment; Pay check is delayed and very small to meet up with present day reality; Remuneration skipping/relativity

Inter-professional disputes

2

5.6

Inter-professional disputes, unnecessary disharmony amongst healthcare workers

Poor guidelines and services

4

11.1

Poor guidelines for progression for different cadre of healthcare workers; Agitation for improved service delivery; Upgrading the standard of health care delivery and assault on a health worker; Lack of residency training policy

Others

5

13.9

Lack of facilities, residency templates for residents; In solidarity with unjustly dismissed colleagues in order that they be reinstated; For regularization of entry and other grade levels; Greed; Protest against sack of residents who have overstayed