FG invokes ‘no work, no pay’ rule for striking doctors

13 Aug FG invokes ‘no work, no pay’ rule for striking doctors

Minister of Health Dr. Osagie Ehanire has said that resident doctors on strike will no longer be paid. This follow the “no work, no pay” rule, which he says is recognised by the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

Already, the Federal Government has taken the doctors to the Industrial Court.

The doctors said they would not back off from the strike and would be at the Industrial Court on Monday.

Speaking at a briefing organised by the Presidential Media Team in Abuja, he told the doctors, who started their strike on August 2, that the country is currently facing a virulent third wave of COVID-19 pandemic, and cholera outbreak, which has claimed hundreds of lives and an emerging Marburg virus in neighbouring vicinities.

The minister, who was accompanied to the briefing by heads of three agencies under the Ministry of Health; Professor Mojisola Adeyeye of the National Agency For Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC); Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, of National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC); and Dr Faisal Shuibu of National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA).

The minister said that most of the demands raised by the striking doctors were under the jurisdiction of state governments.

“We have said openly that this is not a good time for doctors to go on strike. We’re having a strike for the third time this year that is not good. We have appealed to them. We have been having long meetings with young doctors to tell them that look we have a certain responsibility to our country.

“Every country in difficult situation at this time should understand that responsibility is on all of us if you have any problem, any grudge let’s talk about it. If we can’t solve it now, let’s continue talking about it until we fine solution but don’t drop work.

“I think Nigeria is probably the only country in the world today where doctors are dropping work in the middle of a threat to the whole country. So that’s what we have advised. There has been no threat. Nobody threatened anything. We are just appealing, all of us are doctors, all of us went through the same residency.