By Editor
The aggrieved members of the Medical Health Workers Union of Nigeria MHWUN, Ekiti State chapter has expressed their frustration at the alleged non challant attitude of the Chief Medical Director of the hospital towards the payment of years of several entitlements due to them.
The union in conjunction with other affliated workers unions in the hospital has during the week, trooped to the streets in protest against the perceived injustice calling on Governor Biodun Oyebanji to come to their rescue.
Comrade Oluwatimilehin Kumuyi, Chairman MHWUN Ekiti State in a chat with our correspondent said that there were high hopes that the Governor would increase the hospital’s subvention before the election as a result of which the workers voted massively for the return of the Governor for a second term.
However things took a dramatic turn after the Governor fulfilled the pledge.
According to the Union leader; “Along the line, the money came thinking that CMD would call us as union leaders as expected because we were carried along when he received the warrant but he didn’t inform us when the alert came but to our surprise, we were shocked to see tax deduction from our salaries which was contrary to our agreement” she said.
Explaining further, Kumuyi said the union had earlier reached an agreement with the hospital’s management in clear terms saying; “As law abiding cititens tax is mandatory for workers. We now put it before the CMD that if he should deduct tax from our salaries, he should look at the area of palliatives that would reduce the impact of the tax on the workers as the management is owning the workers huge unpaid dues spanning six years”
She listed two of the unpaid financial obligations by the management to include; 40,000 minimum wage and 15,000 wage awards.
” We begged the CMD to pay part of these accumulated debts as times are very hard at this critical season when our children are set to go back to school but to our greatest shock, the CMD said there was no excess.
“Unfortunately when I broke the news to our members they flared up threatening to stone me as they refused to be pacified. They said they would match on the streets to let Mr. Governor come to our aide because the money we are asking for was part of our salaries which is cooperative deductions. I have the figure with me running to over N430m and for good six years the money is still there since the present CMD came on board.
“This was what led to the aggression why our people staged the protest as a clarion call for Mr. Governor look into our plight in EKSUTH and come to our aid and sadly the situation is so bad that the CMD has refused to listen to any suggestions”. She lamented.
However, in a reaction, the CMD Prof. Kayode Olabanji has dismissed the reports and absolved himself from any blames insisting that the workers’ action was a reaction to the tax deductions.
