Resident doctors threaten nationwide strike
The Federal Government of Nigeria has been issued an ultimatum by the that if it does not agree to the her demands, a national strike has been threatened.
The association informed the minister of health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, of this in a letter that was signed by its president, Dr. Emeka Orji, and stated that the strike preparations would begin if the issues were not resolved before the National Executive Council meeting, which would take place from January 24 to 28.
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The letter stated that, among other things, “Sir, our January 2023 National Executive Council meeting has been scheduled for January 24 to 28th, 2023, and we can confirm very clearly feelers that if these issues are not resolved before that meeting, our members will likely give us a mandate to immediately start processes that will lead to a nationwide industrial disharmony in the health sector.
Six months ago, NARD gave the Federal Government an ultimatum regarding ongoing problems that affected its members. These problems included irregularities in the new circular on an upward review of the Medical Residency Training Fund, unpaid arrears for the new hazard allowance, non-payment of the skipping arrears for 2014, 2015, and 2016, and non-payment of the consequential adjustment of the minimum wage to some of its members.
Salary arrears of its members in state-run tertiary healthcare facilities in the states of Abia, Imo, Ondo, Ekiti, and Gombe are several months long. Other issues include the non-domestication of the Medical Residency Training Act in the majority of the federation’s states.
“Sir, we humbly implore you to use your good offices to resolve these issues before our January NEC meeting because we are aware of how crucial this period is and the chaos that will result if the government does not take action to prevent this from happening.
We believe that you will come to our aid and spare this country from the impending industrial disharmony because of your fatherly nature, sir.
The Senate President, House Speaker, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Ministers of Labour and Finance, as well as the Chairman of the Nigerian Governor’s Forum, were all copied on the letter by NARD.
Although the association applauded the government’s efforts through its ministries, departments, and agencies to address some of the issues raised, it claimed that many of them went largely unresolved, which caused agitations among its members across the country.
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