Covid-19 Allowance: Nigerian Doctors To Begin Indefinite Strike On Monday
The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors says it has decided to embark on industrial strike nationwide starting Monday, September, 7.
Dr Aliyu Somomba, the National President of the Association made this known in a press release, issued at the end of a virtual National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the association on Thursday, and made available to newsmen on Friday.
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According to the release, the decision to embark on the industrial action was hinged on government’s inability to fulfil the demands of the group within a 21-day ultimatum.
The council met on Wednesday to review the 21-day ultimatum issued to the government, which elapsed on August 17, and thereafter, resolved to proceed on indefinite nationwide strike action until their demands are met.
The statement read in part, “NEC noted that nonpayment of the outstanding salary shortfall of 2014, 2015, 2016 under the guise “of the so-called appeal of the National Industrial Court decision that granted the judgment in favour of the payment in the first place by Federal Ministry of health.
“NEC noted that though an agreement has been reached between the government and stakeholders in the health sector to pay COVID-19 Inducement allowance for 6 months (April – September), payment was only commenced for April, May and June in some institution and the process abandoned.”
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The Council observed that the government was not sincere in determining the revised hazard allowance for all health workers which was supposed to commence in September 2020.
It also observed that despite the inclusion of the residency funding in the revised 2020 budget, the government was yet to make plans to implement the payment despite several promises by several stakeholders.
“NEC observed the plight of her members in state tertiary hospitals such as the non-domestication and non-implementation of Medical Residency Training Act at the state level, the non-implementation of appropriate salary structure, and the nonpayment of owed salaries.” the statement said.
