Ondo labour issues 72-hour ultimatum over teaching hospital payroll dispute
By Boye Oyeyemi
Organised Labour in Ondo State has declared a total industrial dispute at the Federal University of Technology Akure Teaching Hospital over the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) capturing of inherited workers, giving the state government 72 hours to address their demands.
The resolution was signed by the state chairmen of the Trade Union Congress, Nigeria Labour Congress and Joint Negotiating Council. The unions accused the hospital’s Chief Medical Director, Prof. Sylvester Ojo, of violating the Memorandum of Understanding governing the hospital’s transition to Federal Government ownership.
The unions rejected the ongoing IPPIS exercise, alleging that it lacked transparency and breached the terms of the agreement. They also demanded the immediate removal of the chief medical director and called for a fresh payroll capturing exercise for all legitimately inherited workers.
They warned that failure to meet their demands within the 72-hour deadline, which took effect from July 2, would lead to lawful industrial action to protect the affected workers.
In a separate communiqué issued after an emergency meeting with the Governor’s Special Adviser on Health, Prof. Simidele Odimayo, organised labour also declared an indefinite picketing of the hospital. The unions alleged that some workers were forced to renounce their union membership before being captured on the IPPIS platform, while non-staff members were allegedly enrolled.
“We unanimously reject the appeal of the government and declare an indefinite picketing of the hospital until all legitimately inherited workers are captured into the IPPIS platform in strict compliance with the Memorandum of Understanding,” the unions said.
Responding, the hospital management dismissed the allegations as false and misleading. It maintained that the transition process and IPPIS exercise complied with the Memorandum of Understanding and Federal Government guidelines and challenged the unions to identify any provision of the agreement it had violated.
The hospital further urged workers and the public to remain calm, saying healthcare services remain uninterrupted. It warned that any industrial action capable of disrupting clinical services could endanger patients and reaffirmed its commitment to dialogue, transparency and fair treatment of all eligible workers.
