President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime has warned National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) members to shelve their planned five-day warning strike.

Labour minister Chris Ngige gave the warning on Tuesday in Abuja, shortly after receiving a letter of notification from the NARD executive on the planned strike.

Mr Ngige, according to a statement by the ministry, said the planned strike was illegal. Mr Ngige said he contacted the health minister, who informed him that a meeting was scheduled with the resident doctors on Wednesday.

“If you don’t work, there will be no pay,” Mr Ngige said.

He advised the doctors to avail themselves of the opportunity for social dialogue with their employer rather than embark on a warning strike, which is unknown to the law.

“There is nothing like a warning strike. A strike is a strike. If they want to take that risk, the options are there. It is their decision. They have the right to strike. You cannot deny them that right,” noted the labour minister.

He added, “But their employer has another right under section 43 of the Trade Dispute Act to withhold their pay for those five days. So, if the NARD has strike funds to pay their members for those five days, no problem.”