By Chioma Obinna, Gabriel Olawale & Augusta Agina
LAGOS—The Association of Medical Laboratory Scientist of Nigeria, AMLSN, Monday began a five-day nationwide work-to-rule industrial action over alleged encroachment of their scheme of service by their counterparts in the pathology profession.

The body which also called for the immediate removal of the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, threatened to mobilise other professional bodies to join in the strike, if the government failed to meet their demands before Thursday November 3.

The strike action which commenced yesterday morning crippled services in medical laboratories in several hospitals nationwide. The First Vice President, Mr Toyosi Raheem, said the action is to ensure that medical laboratory scientists’ professional rights are preserved.

Raheem, who spoke to reporters in Lagos, alleged that pathologists are vying with the job of medical laboratory scientists despite lacking the expertise to do so.

He made reference to the law setting up the medical laboratory services, as it empowers scientists  to take charge of Medical laboratory services in health institutions in Nigeria. “This is also in line with the empowerment of medical doctors who are to take charge of medical services, the nurses are in charge of nursing service and the pharmacists are in charge of pharmaceutical services,” he stated.

Earlier, the Association’s National Secretary, Mr. Ashi Robert Rigye noted in a statement that the strike became necessary in view of continuous disregard to rules, regulations and laws by the Boards and Chief Executives of healthcare institutions as it affect the standard practice of medical laboratory science profession.

According to him: “The 2001 Act version released by the National Council on Establishments provides that, a person who is not a registered member of the profession shall not practice the profession.

Rigye lamented that this has been violated by most medical directors of Federal and specialist hospitals.   He said as a result of this, members of Association had resolved that they all medical laboratory scientists would refuse to obey instructions and directives that are at variance with government rules and statutory regulations.

…As Meteorological Agency workers threaten strike

By VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG & NAOMI MGBAKOR

LAGOS—Workers of Nigeria Meteorological Agency, NIMET, yesterday, threatened to embark on strike and withdrawal of weather forecast services to airlines, ships, oil rigs, agricultural enterprises and other public and corporate agencies over 15 months unpaid salaries.

The umbrella body for workers in NIMET, Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service, Technical and Recreational Services, Employees, AUPCTRE, which handed down the warning, in Lagos, lamented that all correspondences to Secretary to Government of the Federation, Minister of Aviation, his Labour and Productivity counterpart and management of NIMET, had yielded no result.

AUPCTRE’s Acting General Secretary, Mr Philip Agbonkonkon, said, every other benefitting parastatal of the 53.37 percent relativity salary increase, which circular was issued by government since July 2010, had been paid, leaving out NIMET.

According to him, if by midnight November 8, government failed to pay the workers, weather forecast services to airlines, ships, oil rigs, agricultural enterprises and other public and corporate agencies, would be withdrawn.

He said, “The issue in dispute between Union and Federal Government is the non implementation of the relativity salary increase circular in the core civil service and other sub sectors of the public service,  parastatals, that are funded from the Treasury.

“Virtually all parastatals with the exception of NIMET and very few others have had the circular implemented for them before the end of 2010 and effective from July 1, 2010.  Effort made since 2010 till date in terms of meetings with relevant government agencies and correspondences to the authorities, including Secretary to Government of the Federation yielded no result but have manifested ambivalence and apparent indifference on the part of government.

“Virtually all relevant government agencies agree that the 2010 relativity circular on salary increase in the core civil service and parastatatals funded from treasury applies to staff of NIMET.  It is therefore, difficult to contemplate why the implementation has been delayed for over 15 months now,” he added.