Striking Resident doctors may not receive their salaries for a while as the federal government has issued a ‘no work, no pay’ policy following their ongoing strike.

This is contained in a letter written by the director of hospital services in the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH), Andrew Noah, on behalf of the permanent secretary, Olufunso Adebiyi, to the Accountant General of the Federation on August 1

The letter titled, “Re: Incessant Strike Action by Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD): Implementation of ‘No Work, No Pay’ Policy of the Federal Government” has DHS/828/T1/410 as its serial number.

The letter said various conciliatory meetings by the Ministries of Health and Labour and Employment, government stakeholders and the National Assembly proved abortive in getting NARD to call off the indefinite strike action.

“I am directed to bring to your notice the provisions of Circular No.58598/S.1/II/182 dated June 22, 2016, on ‘No Work, No Pay’ and request for the implementation of the circular to serve as a deterrent to other health workers.

“I am further directed to request your good office to stop the salaries of all striking resident doctors with effect from July 26, 2023,” the letter read.

Reacting to the letter, the NARD president, Innocent Orji, told journalists that the ‘no work, no pay’ policy would aggravate the issues and escalate the ongoing strike by its members.

“Now, for a ministry that has taken that position to now muster the capacity to be issuing letter to communicate their plans for punitive measures, our members are angry about it.

“We are going to meet this weekend, and I can tell you from what we have heard from our members that there will likely be massive escalation by next week,” he said.

Speaking about the various conciliatory talks that the government and other stakeholders have engaged the association in, Mr Orji said it is getting people tired.

He added that the federal government had not negotiated with the association since the strike commenced.

“We had talks before the strike started; we have said before that they do not need talks to pay MRTF 2023, it is in the budget, and the funds are there,” Mr Orji said.

In a letter to the federal government on July 5, the doctors had extended the expiration of its ultimatum to July 19. NARD subsequently embarked on strike on July 26.

NARD’s key demands were the immediate payment of the 2023 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF), immediate implementation of a minimum of 200 per cent increment in the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure and the upward review of associated allowances.

Others are payment of outstanding arrears of consequential adjustment, hazard allowance and skipping allowance.

(NAN)