Striking health workers in Akwa Ibom State have been directed to suspend the strike and go back to work.

The chairperson, Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC,  Akwa Ibom Council, Mr. Unyime Usoro, gave the directive after a closed-door  meeting with the state Governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio, Head of Service, Mrs. Grace Anwana, Special Adviser on Public Service, Labour and Productivity, Sunny Akpabio and other union’s officials at Government House, Uyo.

The heath workers comprising nurses, midwives and other allied health professionals had gone on strike since July 19, this year after a one-week warning strike to press for the payment of consolidated Health Workers Salary Structure, introduced by the Federal Government.

The unions involved in the strike were National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, NANNU, National Association of Medical Health Workers of Nigeria, Nigeria Union of Medical Scientists and Allied Professionals and Nigeria Union of Pharmacists.

Mr  Usoro said the unions have accepted the government’s plea for the striking workers to go back to work pending the resolution on the payment of the enhanced salary to health workers.

He expressed the hope that as a promise keeper, the Governor would quickly facilitated payment of the salary to bring them at par with their counterparts at the federal level.

Earlier, Governor Akpabio said the government believes in dialogue and was satisfied with the outcome of the meeting.