Federal Government Begs Doctors To End Strike

The Federal Government has begged the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) tohalt its ongoing national strike

Naija News reports that the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) on Monday commenced a nationwide strike over the federal government’s failure to meet their demands.

The industrial action by the NARD is the latest in a string of strikes by medics to hit Africa’s most populous nation as it struggles to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

NARD stated that their demands which the federal government had failed to meet include a pay rise, better welfare, and adequate facilities.

The government has fixed a meeting with the Federal Ministries of Health, Finance, Budget and National Planning and the striking doctors for Wednesday.

The government stated it has addressed six of the eight demands listed by doctors.

Minister for Labour and Employment, Sen Chris Ngige, who stated these, called on the doctors to respect the nation’s laws and suspend its industrial action.

In a statement by the Deputy Director, Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, the Minister reminded the doctors: “By labour laws and ILO Conventions, when issues are being conciliated, all parties are enjoined not to employ arm-twisting methods to intimidate or foist a state of helplessness on the other party; in this case, your employers, the Federal Ministry of Health.”

He said with such a high percentage of the association’s demands already addressed and existence of a pending case in the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) instituted by two Civil Society groups against NARD, the Attorney General of the Federation, and the Ministers of Health and Labour and Employment, the association had no reason to embark on an industrial action.