Aggrieved members of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) at the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital in Abakaliki have withdrawn from the association.
The coordinator of the group, Okafor Christian, made the announcement on Saturday on behalf of his colleagues while briefing journalists in the Ebonyi state capital.
He explained that they have directed their complaints and requests to the national leadership of the association, and were open for dialogue, negotiations and resolutions.
Christian alleged that they were told that the national leaders had no interest in their requests and were told to either maintain the status quo or exit the association, as enshrined in the association’s constitution.
He accused the union of adopting unproductive and destructive approaches to issues as in the case of the method of sharing their check-of-dues generated from the unit, referring to the sharing formula as national 50 per cent, state 30 per cent and unit 20 per cent.
The aggrieved members, therefore, called on the leadership of the association to reduce the check-of-dues to a flat rate deduction of N1,000.
They also want a refund of those that were checked off dues without their consent, adding that a letter of apology should be issued to them.
The aggrieved members insisted that they lacked welfare package and asked the national leadership to design welfare packages for members on retirement, chronic illness, and death while in active service.
According to them, it is the primary essence of unionism.
