Tunde Sanni
6 July 2009
Ibadan — The gale of strike may spread to health institutions, as Senior Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes and Associated Institutions (SSAUTHRIAI), weekend, spurned proposal by Minister of Health, Professor Babatunde Osotimehin, to put its members in the same salary structure with civil servants in the ministry.
General Secretary of SSAUTHRIAI, Mr Moshood Akinade, in a statement yesterday, said the para-medical body is against recent circular from the minister, which skipped the Consolidated Tertiary Salary Scale Structure 10 for its members.He said a circular from the Ministry of Health with reference numbers SMH. 494/S.3/1/93 on June, 2009, captioned, "Skipping of CONTISS 10 and promotion of certain cadres beyond their terminal grade levels," could cause industrial crisis.Akinade said the Salary Scale Structure for civil servants in the ministry was different from the CONTISS that was approved for SSAUTHRIAI by the Federal Government.
He said the issue just being canvassed by the minister through the circular had been laid to rest long time ago, and that any attempt to resuscitate it will be resisted.
He said, "in the interest of industrial peace in health institutions, SSAUTHRIAI unequivocally demands immediate withdrawal of the offensive circular. Failure to do that will force SSAUTHRIAI to direct its members to commence immediate strike in any hospital that the circular is implemented."
According to him, civil servants are placed on salary grade levels one to 17, while the CONTISS for SSAUTHRIAI is from grade levels one to 15.
He said his members have over the years, been enjoying promotion from CONTISS nine to 11."Also, the directive that all non-degree holding officers promoted beyond CONTISS 12 be immediately reverted to CONTISS 12, in line with extant rule and regualtions, is unacceptable to SSAUTHRIAI," he said.
Akinade explained that the promotions, in the first instance, were validly and legally done by boards of management in which the ministry officials actively participated.
According to him, moving from CONTISS 09 to 11 is applicable to all tertiary institutions in the country that belong to SSAUTHRIAI, and this contention is supported by schemes and conditions of service approved by Head of Service of the Federation.
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