By Agboola Bayo
Ibadan
Joint Health Sector Union (JOHASU) has asked the National Industrial Court (NIC) to stop the Nigeria Medical Association [NMA] from ordering strike in public hospitals, Federal Medical Centres and health institutions in the country.
The unions at the mentioning of its suit against the NMA and its National President, Dr Kayode Obembe is also praying the court to declare the last July nationwide strike by the NMA members as illegal, unconstitutional, unprofessional and ultra vires.
At the hearing of the case in Ibadan on Tuesday, the unions urged the court to declare that the NMA and its National President have no legal right to disrupt the career progression of their members in public hospitals, Federal Medical Centres and health institutions .
JOHASU in the suit filed by five unions namely Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Senior Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes and Associated Institutions (SSATHRIAI), Nigerian Union of Health Professionals(NUAHP) and Non Academic Staff Union of Education and Associated Institutions(NASU) informed the court that NMA and its National President were not trade union organisations.
Responding, Ajeleti told the judge that both the NMA and its National President had filed preliminary objection to the unions’ case, and that he had equally served them a counter affidavit to their objection, adding that counsel to the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity had called him to inform him that he had not received necessary correspondence on the case.
The judge then fixed November 18, for the hearing of the preliminary objection, directing that all parties in the case should have been served necessary papers before the date.
