Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors –NARD says it will embark on a nationwide strike from Thursday, April 1, 2021.
This was made known in a joint statement signed by NARD President, Dr Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi, Secretary-General, Dr Jerry Isogun, and Publicity/Social Secretary, Dr Dotun Osikoya, in Abuja after NARD’s extra-ordinary National Executive Council (NEC) meeting.
The proposed strike followed the expiration of the 60-day ultimatum given to the Federal Government on January 25 for the payment of arrears of salaries of house officers across the country and the review of hazard allowance, among other demands.
Decrying the N5,000 hazard allowance paid to its members, the association also noted that since the pandemic began in 2020, it has sadly lost 17 doctors, whose families and loved ones are yet to benefit from the Death in Service Insurance Scheme.
According to the union, the industrial action which was decided at the meeting would be total and indefinite, if the Federal Government fail to meet its demands.
“The NEC reiterated her full support for the Central Placement of House Officers. Nevertheless, they decried the agony our members have been made to pass through for three months now without salaries despite uninterrupted service delivery to the nation.
The union also bemoaned the suffering of some of it members in GIFMIS platform who have not been paid salaries for four months now due to delay in biometric capturing by IPPIS department
In their resolutions, the doctors called for the immediate payment of all salaries owed to all house officers, including March salaries before the end of March 31.
They also asked the government to commence the immediate payment of all salary arrears, including March salaries to their members in all Federal and state tertiary health institutions.
The union resolved to call for the upward review of the current hazard allowance to 50 per cent of consolidated basic salaries of all health workers, as well as the payment of the outstanding COVID-19 inducement allowance.
They also sought the immediate abolishment of the exorbitant bench fees being paid by their members on outside postings in all training Institutions.