The Federal Government has warned members of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) to shelve their planned five-day warning strike.
Sen. Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment, gave the warning on Tuesday in Abuja, shortly after receiving a letter of notification from the NARD executive on the planned strike.
Ngige 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.
Ngige who was reacting to the letter, delivered to his office at about 5pm same day, said he contacted the Minister of Health, who informed him that a meeting has been scheduled with the resident doctors on Wednesday.
He therefore advised the doctors to avail themselves of the opportunity for social dialogue with their employer, rather than embark on warning strike, which is unknown to the law.
According to him, 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.
-NAN
