FMCO workers strike lingers on HWN STRIKE UPDATE

The indefinite industrial action embarked upon by staff of Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, FMCO, enlarged yesterday, as members of the Association of Resident Doctors, ARD, joined the fray.
 
Before the leadership of ARD directed its members to join the strike, the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwifes, NANNM, the National Union of Allied Health Practitioners, NUAHP and the Medical and Health Workers Union, MHWUN, had earlier deserted their offices in protest against alleged accumulated administrative pains and high handedness of the hospital’s Medical Director, Dr. Angela Uwakwem.
 
When newsmen visited the hospital, yesterday afternoon, the workers, who wore all black attires, also carried placards with varying inscriptions, chanting all manner of derogatory songs as they marched peacefully round the establishment’s premises.
 
Some of the workers, who spoke at the scene of the protest, explained that the industrial action would be one month old tomorrow.
 
The strike would be one month old tomorrow. It is very sad to note that instead of being sober and reflecting on the labour impasse that has brought the much fancied medical establishment to its knees, the medical director opted to engage hack writers to malign workers,” Ezugwu said.
 
The labour leader noted that workers had been very peaceful in their demands, insisting, however, that nothing short of a critical investigation into their allegations against the medical director would placate them.
 
Meanwhile, the workers have listed their grouse against the medical director in  a release, HU/GFM/01/07, dated May 19, 2015, and signed by all the labour leaders, including the chairmen of NUAHP and NANNM, Ezeugwu Clifford and Uhiara Catherine respectively.
 
According to the release, the aggrieved workers insisted that Uwakwem should step aside for thorough investigation and audit of her administration.
 
HWN, Vanguard.