The Medical Laboratory Professional Workers Union (MELPWU) has expressed serious concerns about how their colleagues are being treated nationwide amidst their current strike.
Dr. Cephas Akotor, the General Secretary of the Union, highlighted instances where many members have faced intimidation from hospital administrators during the strike.
According to Dr. Akotor, some union members have been threatened simply for advocating for better working conditions.
The strike by the union aims to protest against the inadequate working conditions endured by medical laboratory professionals.
Dr. Akotor passionately appealed for an end to these intimidating actions.
He stressed the importance of hospital directors, human resources personnel, and administrators supporting their staff rather than taking an adversarial approach.
“I want to use the opportunity to also talk to our directors, HRs and administrators at the various hospitals that we work with, and we are their employees. If we have difficulties, they should be speaking for us, not [when] we go on the rampage before they know we have concerns.
“The intimidation happening in the various hospitals should stop. People are threatening that they will not validate people’s salaries, taking people’s positions from them as heads of departments, asking our members to vacate their accommodations and all that. I think that we haven’t gotten to that stage.”