The National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) has said that its leadership will meet today to consider offers made by the federal government to call off their strike.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, had told reporters after his closed-door talks with the health workers yesterday that they have agreed to suspend their warning strike.

Addressing journalists shortly after the meeting with the leadership of NANNM, Pate said the decision to call off the strike was part of the agreements reached between the government and the association.

However, the union leaders said that they were going back to consult with their organs before deciding to suspend the four-day old warming strike.

The union leaders failed to confirm the deal with the government when confronted by journalists at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in Abuja, venue of yesterday’s meeting.

Speaking on the outcome of the discussion with the Minister of Health, NANNM’s Public Relations Officer, Omomo Tibiebi, said though they have received offers from government, they are yet to formally suspend their strike

He said the union’s National Executive Council will meet today to assess the federal government’s response before deciding on the next steps.

There will be a National Executive Council meeting by tomorrow (Saturday), and that’s when a decision will be made, and we will know if what the federal government has promised is good enough for us to suspend the strike,” he said.

Nurses and midwives under the association had commenced a nationwide warning strike on Tuesday, July 29 over demands for improved welfare packages.

he strike, which disrupted normal operations in public health institutions across the country, caused pain to families of patients.

The nurses’ demands include the upward review of shift allowance, adjustment of uniform allowance, implementation of a separate salary structure for nurses, increased core duty allowance, mass employment of nurses, and the creation of a dedicated nursing department in the Federal Ministry of Health. (THISDAY)