*Accuse FG Of Insincerity
*Threaten Massive Escalation Of Ongoing Strike By Next Week
President of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), Dr Emeka Orji, has faulted the Federal government’s directive to ask the management of federal tertiary hospitals across the country to commence the enforcement of the “no work, no pay” policy against the striking resident doctors.
He stated that the directive on NWNP has aggravated the situation on the ground and has made NARD members angry.
In a chat with The Guardian yesterday, Orji said that the government side has demonstrated their insincerity in resolving the issues raised by the association and threatened that there will likely be a massive escalation of the strike from next week, warning that NARD should not be blamed for it.
Orji argued that the directive wouldn’t have been necessary if the government had resolved the very urgent and germane issues that led to the strike in the first place.
He said, “You cannot fail on your duties and responsibilities and turn around to attempt to punish people for agitating that you live up to your responsibilities. Our members are angry, and an official position of NARD will come out before the end of this weekend”.
The Federal government, through the Federal Ministry of Health, had directed the management of federal tertiary hospitals across the country to commence the enforcement of the “no work, no pay” policy against the striking resident doctors.
The directive was contained in a circular dated August 1 and titled, “Re: Incessant Strike Action by the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors: Implementation of “No work, No pay” policy “.
In the circular, the government expressed disappointment that the doctors embarked on the strike despite attempts at conciliatory meetings involving various stakeholders, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, and the National Assembly, all of which proved unsuccessful in reaching an agreement and therefore directed hospitals to implement the ‘no work, no pay’ policy and also keep an attendance register for resident doctors who are willing to continue working despite the strike.
The circular read in part, “I am directed to inform you that the Federal Ministry of Health has instituted the policy of “No work, No Pay” against the striking resident doctors in line with circular Ref. No.58598/8.1/II/182 dated June 22, 2016,” the letter read in part. I am further directed to request you to maintain an attendance register for all residents willing to work and furnish the ministry with such names on a monthly basis.”
Under Nigerian law, workers’ unions on strike are typically entitled to their full salaries. However, the government can invoke the “no work, no pay” rule if it deems the strike illegal or unjustified.
Historically, this rule has been rarely enforced and has often been reversed once the strike is called off or suspended.
It would be recalled that the resident doctors embarked on an indefinite industrial action on 26 July following what they described as the failure of the Nigerian government to meet their demands.
Major demands of the Association include immediate payment of the 2023 MRTF, immediate release of the circular on one-for-one replacement, payment of skipping arrears and upward review of CONMESS in line with full salary restoration to the 2014 value of CONMESS.
Other demands are payment of the arrears of consequential adjustment of minimum to the omitted doctors, reversal of the downgrading of the membership certificate by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria ( MDCN), payment of MRTF, new hazard allowance, skipping and implementation of corrected CONMESS in State Tertiary Health Institutions and payment of omitted hazard allowance arrears.
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