The Federal Government is ready to withdraw the case instituted against the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) if striking doctors return to their duty post.
The Government also insisted that the ‘no work, no pay’ policy would be observed because it is a global practice which is also captured in Section 43 of the Trade Dispute Act under the International Labour Organization, ILO.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, said this on Sunday, September 06, 2021 after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Ngige said that the 12-points demand of the members of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors, NARD, have been met but noted that the Government will not be arm twisted by the striking doctors not to follow the global standard.
On why he was at the Presidential Villa, Ngige said, “In the main time, I discussed the state of the healthcare system industrial disputes with Mr. President. As you well know, the resident doctors are still on strike, their strike has now entered the 33rd day today. Meanwhile, Government is doing everything possible to make sure they get back to work.
“I have briefed Mr President, we have agreed that they should come back to work and if they come back to work, we can take other things from there. We will withdraw the case in court,” Ngige said.
“So, this is where we are with them and we are saying that even if anybody cares to put it in any agreement, that clause will be void ab initio because it’s against the law of the land and we will not, as a government, succumb to undue arm twisting and then go and sign that.”
“Other workers have lost their pay during strikes; the Joint Health Systems Union (JOHESU), they lost their pay in 2018 when they went on four months strike; they lost about two or three months’ pay when the no-work, no-pay rule was invoked,” the minister said, adding that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) suffered the same fate last year.
“Nobody paid them (ASUU) anything for six months and it was during COVID-19. So, we can handle things administratively, but nobody should arm-twist,” he said.
