Barely three months after the Academic Staff Union of Universities,ASUU,called off it’s eight month strike,medical doctors have served federal government a strike notice.
They did this through the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) on Tuesday following what it described as the alleged failure of the Federal Government to meet pending demands that had formed the basis for members to boycott patients in the past.
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In a letter to the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, signed by its President, Dr. Emeka Innocent Orji, the association warned that failure to have the subsisting issues resolved before its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of January 24th to 28th would lead to the strike.
The association also sent notification of their grouses to the Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Secretary to the Government of Federation, Minister of Labour and Finance respectively, as well as the Chairman of the Nigerian Governor’s Forum( NGF) among many others.
The letter reads: “Sir, our January 2023 National Executive Council meeting has been scheduled for January 24th to 28th, 2023, and we can confirm very clearly feelers that if these issues are not sorted out before that meeting, our members will likely give us a mandate to immediately kick-start processes that will lead to a nationwide industrial disharmony in the health sector.”
NARD had issued an ultimatum to the Federal Government six months ago, citing unresolved issues affecting its members, including:
Irregularities in the new circular on an upward review of the Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF)
Outstanding payment of the arrears of the new hazard allowance
Non-payment of the skipping arrears for 2014, 2015 and 2016
Non-payment of the consequential adjustment of the minimum wage to some of its members
Delay in the upward review of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure(CONMESS)
Salary arrears of members in state tertiary health institutions running into several months, including Abia, Imo, Ondo, Ekiti and Gombe States, and
Non-domestication of the Medical Residency Training Act (MRTA) in most states across the Federation.
Although NARD commended the efforts of government ministries, departments and agencies in resolving some of the issues, the association said many remained largely unresolved, causing serious nationwide agitation that threatened industrial peace and harmony in the health sector.
According to NARD, major headaches to doctors came from: “Omitted 2020 MRTF payment, irregularities in the new MRTF circular inconsistent with the Medical Residency Training Act, existing collective bargaining agreements and current economic realities and review of CONMESS salary structure.
“Sir, we know how critical this period is and the chaos that will ensue if the government does not take steps to prevent this from happening, and so we humbly implore you to use your good office to resolve these issues before our January NEC meeting. Sir, we trust in your fatherly disposition and believe that you will come to our aid and save this nation from this imminent industrial disharmony. ”
