As the warning strike embarked upon by the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) continues, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has threatened to invoke the ‘no work, no pay’ policy for the number of days the medical doctors abandoned work.
The assistant director, information and PR, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Ado Bako, made this known in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.
LEADERSHIP reports that NARD had embarked on a seven-day warning strike on Monday over the abduction of its member, Dr Popoola Ganiyat, at the staff quarters of the National Eye Centre in Kaduna, eight months ago.
Ado expressed the ministry’s disappointment over NARD’s decision to embark on a seven-day warning strike, despite all negotiations and plea attempts by the federal government to resolve its concerns and ensure continued industrial harmony.
He said: “Over the past months, the ministry, in collaboration with relevant security agencies, including the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), have been working tirelessly to ensure the immediate and safe rescue of Dr Ganiyat Popoola. High-level discussions and coordinated efforts are currently underway and we remain confident that these measures will lead to a positive outcome.
“The Ministry finds the decision to proceed with this strike action, in the midst of these ongoing discussions, deeply regrettable. As we believe that continued dialogue is the best approach to resolving any outstanding issues.
“In view of this, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare wishes to bring to the notice of NARD that in line with extant labour laws, the federal government will invoke the “No Work, No Pay” for the number of days the strike was observed.”
The Federal Government, therefore, urged the resident doctors to return to the negotiation table so that they can collaboratively find lasting solutions to the challenges facing the nation’s healthcare sector.