The Federal Government, through the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, has declared the planned five-day warning strike by the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) illegal. The Minister warned the members of the association to shelve the industrial action and explore social dialogue with their employer.
Ngige advised the doctors to attend the scheduled meeting with the Minister of Health instead of embarking on the warning strike. He emphasized that there was nothing like a warning strike and that it was unknown to the law. According to him, a strike is a strike, and if the doctors decided to go on with the strike, the government would implement the no-work-no-pay policy.
The Minister revealed that the Federal Government lacks the powers to compel states to domesticate the Medical Residency Training Fund, as health is in the residual list. He stated that it was the job of the Federal Government to make policies and that the states were at liberty to make their own policy.
Ngige also revealed that the Federal Government could not intervene in the bill at the National Assembly to bond doctors for five years, as it was a private member’s bill. He advised the doctors not to talk about a 200% pay rise, as it was not feasible.
The Minister denied the claims by NARD that the Federal Government did not pay minimum wage consequential adjustment arrears to their members. He said that all workers in the Education and Health Sectors, including the defence agencies, benefitted from the adjustment.
Ngige advised the doctors not to embark on a nationwide strike because some states were owing their members. He pointed out that the Federal Government could not interfere with the issue as it was a state matter.
In conclusion, the Minister warned that failure to comply with the government’s directive on the warning strike would trigger the no-work-no-pay policy. He emphasized that lives should be protected, and the ILO principles at decent work, especially for those rendering essential services, should be adhered to.
