We Did Everything Possible To Stop Doctors’ Strike — FG

The Federal Government has said it did everything possible to
stop the ongoing nationwide strike of the National Association of
Resident Doctors (NARD), which paralysed activities in
government-owned hospitals across the country.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige
stated this while addressing the Nigerian Health Commissioners
Forum Quarterly meeting in Abuja.

The Minister recalled that the doctors were sleeping on their
rights until the COVID-19 pandemic broke out last year and the
Federal Government felt that the N5000 hazard allowance paid to
them since 1991 was too paltry.

He noted that the Federal Government paid the doctors and other
health workers bumper money as special COVID hazard allowance for
three months in the first instance, to the tune of N32 billion
while states were told to pay as much as they could afford.

In a statement by the Deputy Director Press and Public
Relations, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Charles
Akpan, the Minister narrated to the Health Commissioners the
trajectory of the current strike.

The statement said: “In September 2020, they put a notice of
strike, asking for Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF) by which
each of them will get N542, 000 to cover cost of books and journals
for that particular examination, transportation and lodging for
three days.

“Luckily, a supplementary budget was being put together and it
was included and was paid to them. They called off the strike. By
March this year, they listed other things again. They said the
Residency Training Fund is not in 2021 budget. They also needed the
hazard allowance to be upgraded and demanded that States should
domesticate Residency Training Act. They said some states owed
their people long months of salaries. They also wanted skipping
allowance and arrears of consequential adjustment to minimum
wage.

“Before we could say Jack Robinson, they went on strike on April
1. I thought it was April fool until April 2 when we didn’t see
them at work. I told them that they didn’t give the mandatory 21
days’ notice to their employers who have written to me to
complain.

“However, we returned to the table. Government pledged that the
2021 Residency Training Fund will be captured in the supplementary
budget. This has been done and payment ready.

“FG also approved N11.3B for Group Life Insurance in 2020 and
renewed in 2021. Government also held a series of conjoint
NMA-JOHESU meeting on hazard allowance until the two disagreed and
now asked for separate negotiations. They are the ones delaying
action on this.

“Every other issues bordering on what the states have failed to
do with doctors is where our hands are tied, but Federal Government
agreed to speak to the Governor’s Forum.

“The arrears of consequential adjustment to the minimum wage cut
across sectors. Anyway, N160 billion earmarked for it has been
exhausted and the next thing to do is to push for more. But really,
some hospitals have gotten. We also abolished bench fees for
Residency Training for those doing specialty. At this, the doctors
left the negotiation happy.”

Ngige said they returned again on July 22, 2021 complaining
about things that were undone and the Government updated them on
the efforts being made to address their demands.

“We told them that the Residency Training Fund is in the
supplementary budget signed into law. So, we will now approach the
World Bank to lend to CBN and from there, we will obtain the Naira
component and it will be paid.

“They said one hospital, LUTH, charged their member bench fee.
We inquired and the CMD LUTH said the person came before the
circular was issued. So, the person will be refunded.

“They said 114 house officers have not been paid out of 3000.
The registrar of MDCN said it looks like their particulars were
wrong or they did not validate because they are expected to
validate on the 15th of every month. They were satisfied. They left
only for us to hear that after their NEC in Benin, they went on
strike and said it will not be called off until they get alert.

“They equally said they were removed from the scheme of service.
The Head of Service of the Federation now explained to them that
career progression should not be for a temporary person. The House
officer has a provisional license.

“An NYSC doctor is on national service. However, we agreed that
we should do an addendum circular to explain that they should not
be in scheme of service.

“They said Lagos has started implementing and paying them
allowance of N15, 000 as call duty for NYSC. I told them that it is
wrong if Lagos was doing that because their wage structure is still
the same.

“The Head of Service of the Federation, called Head of service
Lagos and she explained, there was nothing like that. Lagos wrote
and we showed it to them but they said the circular must be
withdrawn. Government doesn’t function that way. If it will be
withdrawn it will go to Council on Establishment. If you cannot
wait, we do you an addendum circular on the remuneration. The other
money is being processed but you have to call off the strike.

“They said they will not call off till they get alert. So, by
law, we sent them to industrial court. Section 17 of the Trade
Dispute Act says if conciliation fails, you transmit to court. They
got to court. The court ordered them to return to work while issues
are discussed.

“The court said employees cease hostilities with your employer
and employer cease hostilities against your employee. They said
senior lawyer told them that cessation of hostilities doesn’t mean
that they should call off the strike. The court adjourned till
September 15.”

The Federal Government has said it did everything possible to
stop the ongoing nationwide strike of the National Association of
Resident Doctors (NARD), which paralysed activities in
government-owned hospitals across the country.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige
stated this while addressing the Nigerian Health Commissioners
Forum Quarterly meeting in Abuja.

The Minister recalled that the doctors were sleeping on their
rights until the COVID-19 pandemic broke out last year and the
Federal Government felt that the N5000 hazard allowance paid to
them since 1991 was too paltry.

He noted that the Federal Government paid the doctors and other
health workers bumper money as special COVID hazard allowance for
three months in the first instance, to the tune of N32 billion
while states were told to pay as much as they could afford.

In a statement by the Deputy Director Press and Public
Relations, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Charles
Akpan, the Minister narrated to the Health Commissioners the
trajectory of the current strike.

The statement said: “In September 2020, they put a notice of
strike, asking for Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF) by which
each of them will get N542, 000 to cover cost of books and journals
for that particular examination, transportation and lodging for
three days.

“Luckily, a supplementary budget was being put together and it
was included and was paid to them. They called off the strike. By
March this year, they listed other things again. They said the
Residency Training Fund is not in 2021 budget. They also needed the
hazard allowance to be upgraded and demanded that States should
domesticate Residency Training Act. They said some states owed
their people long months of salaries. They also wanted skipping
allowance and arrears of consequential adjustment to minimum
wage.

“Before we could say Jack Robinson, they went on strike on April
1. I thought it was April fool until April 2 when we didn’t see
them at work. I told them that they didn’t give the mandatory 21
days’ notice to their employers who have written to me to
complain.

“However, we returned to the table. Government pledged that the
2021 Residency Training Fund will be captured in the supplementary
budget. This has been done and payment ready.

“FG also approved N11.3B for Group Life Insurance in 2020 and
renewed in 2021. Government also held a series of conjoint
NMA-JOHESU meeting on hazard allowance until the two disagreed and
now asked for separate negotiations. They are the ones delaying
action on this.

“Every other issues bordering on what the states have failed to
do with doctors is where our hands are tied, but Federal Government
agreed to speak to the Governor’s Forum.

“The arrears of consequential adjustment to the minimum wage cut
across sectors. Anyway, N160 billion earmarked for it has been
exhausted and the next thing to do is to push for more. But really,
some hospitals have gotten. We also abolished bench fees for
Residency Training for those doing specialty. At this, the doctors
left the negotiation happy.”

Ngige said they returned again on July 22, 2021 complaining
about things that were undone and the Government updated them on
the efforts being made to address their demands.

“We told them that the Residency Training Fund is in the
supplementary budget signed into law. So, we will now approach the
World Bank to lend to CBN and from there, we will obtain the Naira
component and it will be paid.

“They said one hospital, LUTH, charged their member bench fee.
We inquired and the CMD LUTH said the person came before the
circular was issued. So, the person will be refunded.

“They said 114 house officers have not been paid out of 3000.
The registrar of MDCN said it looks like their particulars were
wrong or they did not validate because they are expected to
validate on the 15th of every month. They were satisfied. They left
only for us to hear that after their NEC in Benin, they went on
strike and said it will not be called off until they get alert.

“They equally said they were removed from the scheme of service.
The Head of Service of the Federation now explained to them that
career progression should not be for a temporary person. The House
officer has a provisional license.

“An NYSC doctor is on national service. However, we agreed that
we should do an addendum circular to explain that they should not
be in scheme of service.

“They said Lagos has started implementing and paying them
allowance of N15, 000 as call duty for NYSC. I told them that it is
wrong if Lagos was doing that because their wage structure is still
the same.

“The Head of Service of the Federation, called Head of service
Lagos and she explained, there was nothing like that. Lagos wrote
and we showed it to them but they said the circular must be
withdrawn. Government doesn’t function that way. If it will be
withdrawn it will go to Council on Establishment. If you cannot
wait, we do you an addendum circular on the remuneration. The other
money is being processed but you have to call off the strike.

“They said they will not call off till they get alert. So, by
law, we sent them to industrial court. Section 17 of the Trade
Dispute Act says if conciliation fails, you transmit to court. They
got to court. The court ordered them to return to work while issues
are discussed.

“The court said employees cease hostilities with your employer
and employer cease hostilities against your employee. They said
senior lawyer told them that cessation of hostilities doesn’t mean
that they should call off the strike. The court adjourned till
September 15.”