Striking resident doctors may not receive their salaries for a while as the Federal Government has issued a ‘no work, no pay’ policy following their on-going strike.
This is contained in a letter written by the Director of Hospital Services, Federal Ministry of Health, FMOH, Dr Andrew Noah, on behalf of the Permanent Secretary, Mr Olufunso Adebiyi, dated Aug. 1 to the Accountant General of the Federation.
A copy of the letter which was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria is titled ‘Re: Incessant Strike Action by Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors, NARD: Implementation of ‘No Work, No Pay’ Policy of the Federal Government’. It has DHS/828/T1/410 as its serial number.
The body of the letter read: “NARD has in a letter Ref_. No. NARD/SG/2022-2023/050723/459; dated July 5, extended its expired ultimatum by another two weeks effective from Wednesday, July 5.
“Also at the expiration of the extended ultimatum on July 19, if all the demands are not met, NARD will not guarantee industrial harmony in the health Sector.
“On July 26, NARD embarked on an indefinite strike over their agitated issues despite concerted government interventions.”
The letter also itemised some of NARD’s key demands to be immediate payment of the 2023 Medical Residency Training Fund, MRTF, immediate implementation of a minimum of 200 per cent increment in Consolidated Medical Salary Structure and the upward review of associated allowances.
Others are payment of outstanding arrears of consequential adjustment, hazard allowance and skipping allowance.
The letter said that various conciliatory meetings by the ministry of health, Ministry of labour and Employment, government stakeholders and the National Assembly proved abortive in getting NARD to call off the indefinite strike action.
“I am directed to bring to your notice the provisions of Circular No.58598/S.1/II/182 dates June 22, 2016, on ‘No Work, No Pay’ and request for the implementation of the circular to serve as a deterrent to other health workers.
“I am further directed to request your good office to stop the salaries of all striking resident doctors with effect from July 26, 2023,” the letter read.
Reacting to the letter, the President of NARD, Dr Innocent Orji, told NAN that the ‘no work, no pay’ policy would aggravate the issues and escalate the on-going strike by its members.
According to him, the Federal Government has aggravated the matter because FMOH has not been living up to their responsibility, but claim that because it does not have a minister, it cannot do much.
NAN
