The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) is warned against the five-day warning strike anticipated to commence from midnight of May 16 by the Nigerian government. The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, emphasized on Tuesday in Abuja that the strike is illegal and advised the resident doctors to shelve it. In a statement signed by Olajide Oshundun, the Director of Press and Public Relations in the Ministry, Ngige urged the doctors to use the chance for dialogue with their employer rather than carrying out an unknown strike.
Chris Ngige revealed that the Minister of Health has scheduled a meeting for Wednesday with the resident doctors concerning the strike action. He advised the doctors to attend and shelve the planned warning strike as it does not align with the provisions of the law. Chris Ngige emphasized that a strike is a strike, and the employer can withhold workers’ pay for those days. If the NARD has strike funds to pay their members for those five days, he has no problem with it.
Regarding the five demands of the doctors, he revealed that the Federal Government lacks the powers to compel the states to domesticate the Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF). The health sector is under the residual list, giving both federal and state governments the authority to legislate. Ngige suggested that the states are at liberty to make their policy if they disagree with the Federal Government.
Chris Ngige advised the doctors to stop discussing a 200 per cent pay rise as it is not feasible. Despite the government’s efforts towards doctors and other workers in the health sector, upward reviews of hazard allowances and negotiations with consultants and the National Salaries Income and Wages Commission on compensation for doctors, student doctors chose to embark on the warning strike.
He revealed that the defense agencies, workers in the education and health sectors benefitted from the adjustment in minimum wage consequential repayment arrears. While responding to NARD’s claim that the Federal Government refused to pay minimum wage and consequential adjustment arrears to their members, Ngige stated that the allegation was unfounded and blamed some unpaid states for the precedent.
Lastly, the Minister mentioned that the executive cannot intervene in the bid at the National Assembly to force doctors to sign up for five years because it is a private member’s bill, indicating that any intervention would impinge on the legislative autonomy and freedom. Chris Ngige was confident that the bill would be declined during the public hearing since the law forbids forced labor.