The Interview Editors
The Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai has told health workers threatening to go on strike that they risk forfeiting their jobs should they go ahead with the strike.
In a statement signed by Muyiwa Adekeye, Special Adviser to the governor on media and communications, on Thursday, el-Rufai said he considered the strike notice by health workers during COVID-19 pandemic as blackmail and that his government would not tolerate it.
He said, “KDSG rejects the strike threat and will regard persons who fail to show up at their assigned places of work as having forfeited their employment. Every health worker that is willing to work is required to sign the register at the Ministry of Health or their facility of deployment
“To declare strike action amidst the COVID-19 pandemic is naked blackmail, based on the mistaken assumption that KDSG will reward irresponsible conduct with surrender. KDSG will not be misled into granting health workers a special status amongst public servants.”
The governor insisted that his government would not exclude health workers from pay cut regardless of the strike threat because it is a sacrifice all public servants in Kaduna State must make to provide palliatives for the poor and vulnerable.
He said, “Government will not be browbeaten by strike action into excluding health workers from the sacrifices being made by other public servants who are donating 25% of their salary to fund the provision of palliatives for low-income, poor & vulnerable persons that are impacted by the lockdown.
“The salary deductions introduced in April 2020 apply to everyone who works for KDSG, from the Governor to the most junior civil servant with a take-home pay of more than N50,000 monthly. It does not favour or discriminate against any professional group in the public service.
