Doctors’ Strike: FG directs hospitals to commence ‘No-Work, No-Pay’ rule

The federal government has instructed all major federal tertiary health institutions where members of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) are currently on strike to implement the “no work, no pay rule,” beginning from August 2, when the nationwide industrial action commenced.

A circular dated August 26, 2021, from the federal ministry of health, directed all Chief Medical Directors (CMDs), Medical Directors (MD) and registrars at all federal health institutions to implement the “no work no pay rule” starting from August 2 when the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) downed their tools.

The circular was signed on behalf of the health minister, Osagie Ehanire, by the director of hospital services, Adebimpe Adeniyi.

However, the striking doctors have stuck to their guns, saying the government’s hard stance would not force them to suspend its almost one-month-old strike.

The doctors on Thursday made their position known in a communiqué issued at the end of a virtual extraordinary meeting of its National Executive Council (NEC), which held on Wednesday.

Read Also:Doctors’ strike: Court orders parties to suspend hostilities, maintain status quo

In a communique jointly signed by the union’s president, Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi; the Secretary-General, Jerry Isogun, and the publicity secretary, Dotun Oshikoya, the publicity secretary, the association said its NEC unanimously voted that the ongoing strike should continue.

The circular reads in part; “The ministry is in receipt of a letter from the honorable minister, the federal minister of labor and employment, informing the ministry of the laws governing the ongoing strike by the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) and the need to apply the provisions of section 43(I)(a) of the trade dispute act on special provision with respect to payment of wages during strikes and lockouts known in labor practice as ‘no work no pay rule with effect from Monday 2nd of August when the strike was commenced by NARD members.”

Read Also:JUST IN : Gov Bello receives freed 90 Islamiyya students at Govt House

“You are to compute the financial implication of the ‘no work no pay’ from the salaries of the resident doctors and any other health worker that participated in the strike using the attached template and forward same to the IPPIS office through the FMOH for the implementation with immediate effect from August 2nd, 2021.

“This directive is in line with the provisions of section 43(I)(a) of the trade dispute act which inter alia states… “where any worker takes part in a strike, he shall not be entitled to any wages or remuneration for the period of the strike and any such period shall not account for the purpose of reckoning the period of continuous employment and all right dependent on continuity of employment shall be prejudicially affected accordingly…” the circular added.