The Federal government has ordered the stoppage of salaries and allowances of the striking resident doctors as they have commenced the implementation of the ‘no work, no pay’ rule with effect from Monday, August 2, 2021.
This is coming after the members of the National Executive Council (NEC) decided on Thursday, August 26, to continue with their industrial action despite the offer from the Federal Government and the order of the Industrial court that they should go back to work.
This was disclosed in a letter dated Friday, August 26 signed by the Director of Hospital Services Department in the Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Adebimpe Adebiyi, in which they directed all the Chief Medical Directors and Managing Directors of federal government tertiary health institutions to commence the implementation of the no work, no pay rule for the doctors that were on strike and any health worker that may join the strike subsequently.
What the letter from the Federal Ministry of Health is saying
The letter addressed to the chief medical directors and managing directors of federal tertiary health institutions and titled: ”Re- Law and Principles Concerning the Right to Strike; Application of Section 43 (1) (A), of the Trade Union Act Cap T8, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, (no work, no pay) states as follows;
”We are in receipt of a letter from the Minister of Labour and Employment informing the minister of the laws governing the ongoing strike by the members of National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) and the need to immediately apply the provisions of section 43 (1) (a) of the Trade Union Act on special provisions with respect to payment of salaries during strikes and lockouts, known in labour parlance as “No work, no pay” with effect from Monday, August 2, 2021 when the strike by NARD members commenced”.
“Consequent on the above, I am directed to inform you to commence the implementation of the no work, no pay, policy on the striking doctors, with effect from Monday, August 2, including other health workers that may embark on strike subsequently.
”You are to compute the financial implications of the no work, no pay rule from the salaries of the resident doctors and any other health worker that participated in the strike, using the attached template and forwarded to the IPPIS office, through the Federal Ministry of Health for implementation.’’
What you should know
It can be recalled that the resident doctors embarked on a nationwide indefinite strike on August 1, to press home their demands for its members which include unpaid benefits and allowances and other issues.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, had on August 13, handed over the trade dispute between the federal government and NARD to the National Industrial Court of Nigeria for adjudication.
The leadership of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) had on August 22, 2021, rejected the new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) presented by the Federal Government, refusing to sign it.
The National Industrial Court (NIC), Abuja Division had on August 22, 2021, ordered the resident doctors to suspend its ongoing strike nationwide and go back to work.
The order which was given by a NIC judge, Justice John Targema, in his ruling follows an ex parte application filed by the Federal Government, for the court to adjudicate on its industrial dispute with the resident doctors.
