Sequel to the suspended nationwide labour strike, patients in government owned hospitals as well as motorists in the state of Osun are elated that government agreed with labour unions to avert the imminent industrial action.
OSUN DEFENDER’s visit to the Osun state hospital in Asubiaro last Monday revealed that patients, as well as their families resulted into prayers that dialogue between the government and the unions is fruitful and the strike should not take places as it would take toll on their health and treatment.
At the Maternity unit of the hospital which has ten mothers who newly gave birth to babies, some of them told this medium that their wish was that the strike should not take place because some of them delivered through Ceasarian section and post surgery treatment might suffer without supervision of nurses.
Speaking with OSUN DEFENDER on Tuesday morning, a patient, Mrs Bunmi Oyedele said she was happy that the strike did not take place as she could not afford private hospital for care, noting that as government hospital is cheaper and have qualified personnel to attend to her.
A motorist, Saheed Odunola, who is a mini-bus (Korope) operator said, it was good that the labour suspended the strike, as it will affect daily earnings.
He stated further that he aligned with the demand of the labour as the cost of living is increasing daily but added that the increase in wage will lead to high inflation, as prices of goods and services will also be on high side.
In her own contribution, Patience Matins, a road side seller of fried yam and plantain said the increase in Labour wage is good but it must be done to relieve all strata of the society as some of those from the informal sector do not have salary to collect but provision of infrastructural inform of good roads, cheap and qualitative health care delivery, good education, social welfare for women and children, as well as employment for the children of less privileged should be provided by the government.
She argued that there is inflation already and the increment in salary, at this time when governments at various levels are still owing workers for months is not the way out of the present economic downturn the nation is currently facing.
It was generally observed that the cross section of the people interviewed are happy because the strike was called off as they explained that they did not have enough food or money to meet the daily needs had the strike earnestly commenced as proposed by the labour.
