As the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) are set to embark on a five-day warning strike on Wednesday to show their displeasure over government’s refusal to meet their demands, the federal government have warned that embarking on such a strike will have dire consequences for the association.
NARD had earlier made the decision to embark on the strike after their extraordinary National Executive Council meeting which was held on Monday and warned that they will embark on a total and indefinite strike if their demands are not met after the duration of the warning strike.
They accused the federal government of not working in the interest of the people of the country and the health sector because they made no attempt to meet with them throughout the period the ultimatum was in place.
Reacting to the development, the minister of labour and employment, Chris Ngige declared the warning strike illegal and threatened that there will be no pay for those who embark on the five-day industrial action.
He said “I will advise them to attend the meeting with the Minister of Health tomorrow. I will also advise them very strongly not to go on five-day warning strike. There is nothing like warning strike. A strike is a strike.”
“If they want to take that risk, the options are there. It is their decision. They have the right to strike. You cannot deny them that right but their employer has another right under Section 43 of the Trade Dispute Act, to withhold their pay for those five days.”
“so, if the NARD has strike funds to pay their members for those five days, no problem. The health minister will instruct the teaching hospitals to employ adhoc people for those five days and they will use the money of the people who went on strike to pay the adhoc doctors. That is the ILO principles at decent work, especially for those rendering essential services. Lives should be protected. One of my sons is a resident doctor. I will advise him to go to work and sign the attendance register. The people seen at work are the ones to receive their pay. If you don’t work, there will be no pay.”
Ngige revealed that most of the demands of NARD are either not within the powers of the federal government or not feasible at the moment and advised them to desist from embarking on the strike in everyone’s interest.
