The warning strike is billed to hold between May 31 and Saturday, June 2.
The President, ARD, Dr. Wale Ojediran, while addressing journalists at a press conference held at the University College Hospital, Ibadan on Wednesday, noted that the sacking of the doctors in the employ of Lagos State Government had assumed a national and unpleasant dimension.
Ojediran called on policy makers and stakeholders in the health sector in the country to intervene in the crisis.
He said, “The situation is actually becoming a national crisis. The issue of payment of Consolidated Medical Salary Structure began in September, 2009 when the Federal Government of Nigeria approved its payment.
“The doctors signed an agreement in March 2011 that the CONMESS salary should be paid in full without compression to all doctors; that allowances will be classified as non-taxable; thus, no taxes will be deducted and that further welfare packages will be developed to improve working condition for all healthcare providers in the state. “
He stated that all efforts by the doctors to ensure that the demands were met were abortive thereby leading to the strike.
He said, “The government actually violated all the contents of the agreement by failing to implement the payment of full CONMESS by removing teaching allowance for some cadres of staff, introducing heavy taxes on the allowances of the doctors and demotion of all doctors in its employ by steps.”
Ojediran said following the Ordinary General Meeting of NARD in Port Harcourt, the association gave a 14-day ultimatum from Monday (May 28) to prevail on the Lagos State Government to recall the doctors and implement earlier agreements or face an indefinite nationwide strike.
Source:punchng
