NHIA Workers Issue 7-day Ultimatum Over Welfare Concerns

By Justina Auta
‎The National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees (NUBIFIE) has given the administration of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) seven days to handle workers welfare considerations or face lawful industrial motion.
The Chairman of NHIA Domestic Unit, Moses Abajara, stated this in an announcement to newsmen in Abuja on Thursday.
The union additionally demanded the fast reversal of Abajara’s switch from the authority’s Abuja headquarters to Kano.
NUBIFIE expressed concern over alleged neglect of workers welfare, intimidation and victimisation of staff who raised considerations about their working situations.
The union stated it had made a number of makes an attempt to have interaction the administration on workers welfare points via official letters, requests for conferences and appeals, however with out success.
It described Abajara’s switch as an try to weaken the union’s management and silence staff.
The union warned that failure to handle its calls for inside seven days would compel it to mobilise members nationwide for lawful industrial motion.
When contacted, Abajara confirmed the event however declined additional remark, saying the union’s nationwide management had taken up the matter.
A senior officer on the authority’s headquarters, who spoke on situation of anonymity, stated workers welfare considerations had endured, including that some staff have been afraid to talk brazenly for concern of victimisation or switch.
The officer questioned the authority’s wage assessment, alleging that staff acquired a 30 per cent enhance after 12 years, regardless of the Federal Government’s 133 per cent enhance within the nationwide minimal wage.
The officer additionally alleged that different welfare considerations included workers stagnation, discontinuation of disengagement allowances, suspension of capacity-building coaching and delays within the fee of allowances.
Another workers member, who additionally most well-liked anonymity, stated staff have been struggling to fulfill primary wants, together with transportation prices, youngsters’s faculty charges and home hire.
The workers member expressed concern over the alleged absence of a proper situation of service to manage promotions, allowances and different employment-related issues.
The employee stated such a doc was essential to offer clear tips and defend workers from arbitrary administration choices.
Some workers members additionally alleged that the administration had more and more relied on exterior consultants, sidelining skilled workers who had contributed to the authority’s growth over time.
They expressed concern that the scenario might undermine workers morale and the efficient discharge of the authority’s duties.
The union’s intervention comes amid the implementation of the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII) underneath President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The staff argued that workers welfare must be prioritised, given the authority’s function in implementing key well being sector reforms.
They urged the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment and different related authorities to intervene and stop the dispute from escalating.
Efforts to acquire the NHIA administration’s response have been unsuccessful, as calls and textual content messages despatched to the Head of Media and Public Relations Unit weren’t answered as of press time.
The union maintained that it might not compromise the welfare and rights of its members, urging the administration to resolve the problems via dialogue to avert disruption of medical health insurance companies nationwide. (NAN)