Resident Doctors: FG To Implement No Work No Pay Policy

DOCTORS will forfeit their salaries within the period they are on strike, a memo by the government has revealed.

The memo dated August 26 affects doctors in the employment of the Federal Government.

The Director of the Department of Hospital Services Adebimpe Adebiyi signed the memo with reference number C. 5194/T/407 and addressed it to all chief medical directors and medical directors of tertiary hospitals.

It was titled: “RE: RE: Law and Principles Concerning the Right to Strike: Application of Section 43 (1) (A) of the Trade Dispute Act, Cap T8 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN) 2004 (‘No Work No Pay’).”

According to the document, the government invoked Section 43 (i) and (a) of the Trade Dispute Act on special provisions for payment of wages during strikes and lock-outs known in labour parlance as ‘No Work, NO Pay.’

Part of the memo reads, “The Ministry is in receipt of a letter from the Honourable Minister, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment (FMoL&E), informing the ministry of the laws governing the ongoing strike by the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) and the need to immediately apply the provision of Section 43 (i) and (a) of the Trade Dispute Act on ‘Special provision with respect to payment of wages during strikes and lock-outs’ known in labour parlance as ‘No Work, NO Pay’ with effect from Monday, August 2, 2021, when the strike was commenced by NARD members.

“Consequent on the above, I am directed to inform you to commence the implementation of the ‘No Work, No Pay’ policy on striking doctors with effect from Monday, August 2 2021 including other health workers that may embark on strike subsequently.

“You are to compute the financial implication of the ‘No Work, No Pay’ from the salaries of the resident doctors and any other health workers that participated in the strike, using the attached template and forward same to the IPPIS office through the FMoH for implementation with effect from August 2, 2021.”

The NARD resumed the strike it suspended in April on August 2, following the failure of the Federal Government to meet its demands.

The Federal Government had a meeting with the doctors on Friday, August 20, to amicably resolve the crisis. However, the doctors refused to sign a Memorandum of Understanding developed during the meeting with the government.

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Some of the doctors’ demands include reversal by the government of a circular from the Head of Service of the Federation which removed house officers from the scheme of service; increase in hazard allowance for doctors beyond N5,000; payment of doctors who are being owed by state and Federal Government; and payment of the National Minimum Wage Consequential Adjustment to some of the doctors by the government.

Others are the domestication of the Medical Residency Training Act of 2017 by state governments; recruitment of more doctors by the government to reduce workload in hospitals, and payment of COVID-19 inducement allowance to all the doctors working in federal and state health facilities.