Go back to work within 24 hours or get sacked, FCT Minister to striking doctors.
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on Thursday, issued a 24-hour ultimatum to striking resident doctors to resume work immediately.
Go back to work within 24 hours or get sacked, FCT Minister to striking doctors.
FCTA warned that failure to do so would lead to a mass sack and immediate recruitment of new doctors.
FCT Minister of State, Ramatu Aliyu, spoke at a news conference after an emergency meeting of the top management staff of the FCTA.
The doctors had commenced an indefinite strike over non-payment of salaries.
They explained that the decision followed extensive deliberation on the health threat posed by coronavirus, work conditions, and the healthcare system.
But, Aliyu stated that the salary problem was not peculiar to the doctors but all staff of the FCTA.
She lamented that despite pleas and assurances, the doctors were yet to resume work.
”The administration has given the striking doctors 24 hours to resume work, after which they should consider themselves as having exited the FCT administration,” Aliyu said.
The minister thanked the Medical and Dental Association of Nigeria, nurses and midwives, medical laboratory technologists, pharmacists and other health workers who did not join the strike.
Why We Went on Strike – Abuja ARD
Our members were thrown into serious financial distress following the non-payment of our salaries as at when due and we waited patiently after the end of year 2019 and the new year 2020 celebrations, till the third week of February, only for us to receive a paltry sum of money as January salary”, Roland Aigbovo, the ARD president explained in a statement earlier.
Roland Aigbovo and other ARD Excos
“The money received ranges from one-fifth to one-tenth of our salary with the exclusion of the newly employed members who have not been paid for 5-7 months.”
Dr Aigbovo said after considering the emergency situation of the coronavirus, the doctors had issued a 14-day ultimatum and a seven-day extension which elapsed on Friday, March 13.
“It will interest you to know that as of that Friday, March 13th, the FCTA began payment of February salaries with no third-party deductions like pensions, tax, NHF, association’s dues, cooperative contributions and others like loan repayment.
“Our new employed members were paid only one month out of 5-7 months and the house officers were paid two months without the consequential adjustment of the new minimum wage and the arrears.”
The official also listed several other demands of the association as follows:
1) Payment of skipping arrears.
2) Payment of 1st 28 days “already approved by the FCT minister”.
3) Improvement of security situation in hospitals.
4) Provision and maintenance of equipment and infrastructure in our various hospitals.
5) Payment of 2016, 2017, 2018 promotion arrears.
He said the doctors resolved that until their demands are met, the mass action will continue indefinitely.
He noted that other health workers who are also affected by the salary shortfalls will join the mass action within 48 hours if their demands “which are the same with ours are not met.”
“Suspend all industrial actions” – NMA wades in.
Umbrella body called the Nigerian Medical Association which all doctors belong has directed all affiliate associations to call off all strike against government in the face of the coronavirus pandemic of which Nigeria is one of the affected countries..
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Friday, the President of NMA, Francis Faduyile directed all medical associations to suspend all industrial action against their management.
This, he said, is to ensure active participation of doctors in containing the COVID-19 outbreak in Nigeria.
“We direct all medical associations that have declared industrial actions against their management to suspend all actions as the National NMA shall take over the dispute and interact with the different organs/agencies of government.”
