The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) is perfecting plans to proceed on an indefinite nationwide strike beginning from March 31, 2021.
This was contained in a memo jointly signed by the president of NARD, Dr Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi and secretary-general, Dr Jerry Isogun and issued on Thursday to its members.
According to the memo titled ‘Impending strike action,’ the strike, is based on the failure of the government to implement certain agreements.
The memo with reference number, NARD/SG/2020-2021/180321/376 stated that the strike would be total and indefinite and urged doctors to prepare financially and mentally for the industrial action.
“Recall that at our last ENEC, it was resolved that a two-week timeline for the government to expedite actions on issues brought to it (be given). You would also recall that the January NEC gave an ultimatum that will elapse on March 31, 2021, for all pending issues to be addressed.
“In the light of the above, we ask that all members should be sensitised and encouraged to prepare to prepare mentally, socially and financially for a strike action that will commence on March 31 indefinitely,” it read in part.
Okhuaihesuyi lamented that the federal government was still paying a paltry N5, 000 as hazard allowance to medical doctors.
“We are still being paid N5,000 hazard allowances while National Assembly members take over N1.2m monthly for hardship allowance,” he stated.
Okhuaihesuyi said the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment had also failed to attend to their plight and even cancelled an important meeting where pressing issues were supposed to have been discussed.
“On February 26, we were to meet with the ministry of labour only to be told a day earlier that the meeting had been postponed and till today nothing. Enough is enough. They can go ahead to implement no work, no pay. We will make the health sector ungovernable for them,” he said.
It is worthwhile to note that the strike will be the third nationwide strike by doctors in nine months and NARD is the largest union of doctors in the public sector. Its members have been on the frontline of the COVID-19 response.
The union had embarked on strike in June and September 2020 due to unpaid allowances and poor working conditions.
