Strike: Resident doctors decry anti-labour policies

The Association of Resident Doctors of Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, (FNPH), Yaba and the National Orthopaedic Hospital, (NOH), Igbobi on Thursday decried anti-labour measures meted on doctors.

Speaking at the joint press briefing on the ultimatum issued by the National Association of Residents Doctors (NARD) which ended on Monday, 2nd January, 2017 and the impending strike, President of the ARD LUTH, Dr Adebayo Sekumade said the association is agitating for the release of a uniform template for Residency training in Nigeria has been ongoing for years and has contributed to industrial disharmony in the health sector.

Sekumade said, there is selective application and misapplication of the rules by the different managements.

“A case in point is the recent letter of appointment given to the new Resident Doctors in LUTH which contained several anti-labour clauses. Also, the absurdity of the unjust and unfair policy of payment of fractional salaries to only doctors in the Federal and State tertiary institutions in the country has continued since December 2013 despite protestations.
“Moreover, the unceremonious and illegal withdrawal of Resident Doctors from the Pension Scheme is unacceptable as it puts our future and that of our offspring in jeopardy.  The selective application of the No Work No Pay rule, victimization and unjust sacking of Resident Doctors and non-enrollment of doctors into the Integrated Personnel Payment System (IPPIS) are the other issues that informed the NARD ultimatum.”

Adding, Sekumade said, the newly employed doctors and house officers in LUTH are told not to join the ARD and they will be on probation for six years while public rule is two years.

On the impending strike, President, ARD FNPH, Yaba, Dr Kenneth Uwajeh said, “patients care is the core of our work. We never wanted to get involved in administration but the dynamics of the government in Nigeria has forces us to do so.

“That is why we want to prevent strike by calling on people who can make changes, we’ve had meeting with people of high esteem to wade into it but nothing has been done. If we have an agreement before the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, then we will not go on strike.”

Representative of the South West NARD, Dr Afolabi Akinkunmi said, “we know the economy is biting hard and it will be difficult for people to afford healthcare elsewhere and so, something needs to be done to avert this strike action because the consequences might be too much for the public to bear.”