The Federal Government says the five-day warning strike planned by members of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) is illegal.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, made this claim on Tuesday in Abuja, shortly after receiving a letter of notification from the NARD executive on the planned strike.
He said this in a statement signed by Mr Olajide Oshundun, Director, Press and Public Relations in the ministry while the planned strike as illegal.
The impending industrial action is billed to begin by midnight of May 16.
Reacting to the letter delivered to his office at about 5pm same day, Ngige said he contacted the Minister of Health, who informed him that a meeting has been scheduled with the resident doctors on Wednesday.
“I will advise them to attend the meeting with the Minister of Health tomorrow. I will also advise them very strongly not to go on five-day warning strike.
“There is nothing like 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.
“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.
“The Health Minister will instruct the teaching hospitals to employ adhoc people for those five days and they will use the money of the people who went on strike to pay the adhoc doctors.
“That is the ILO principles at decent work, especially for those rendering essential services. Lives should be protected. One of my sons is a resident doctor, I will advise him to go to work and sign the attendance register,”he said.
He added that,the people seen at work are the ones to receive their pay. If you don’t work, their will be no pay.
On the five demands of the doctors, Ngige said the Federal Government lacks the powers to compel the states to domesticate the Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF).
He added that since health is in the residual list, where both the federal and state governments have the powers to legislate.
The minister also stated that the job of the Federal Government was to make policy and where the states disagree, they were at liberty to make their own policy.
