As part of the effort of the federal government to keep it’s own side of the agreement, President Bola Tinubu has granted what he insisted is the last waiver of the “no work, no pay” on resident doctors following the implementation of the agreement reached with the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) over their last strike.
The doctors had suspended their almost two weeks strike on August 12 after negotiations with the federal government.
The union had embarked on the action to press home their demands including the immediate payment of the 2023 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF), upward review of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS), and payment of all salary arrears owed its members since 2015.
They also wanted the immediate massive recruitment of clinical staff in the hospitals and abolishment of the bureaucratic limitations to the immediate replacement of doctors and nurses who leave the system as well as the immediate review of hazard allowance by all the state governments and private tertiary health institutions with residency training for doctors.
The “no work, no pay” order was instituted against striking members of the NARD on August 1, 2023, following the commencement of their industrial action which began on July 26, 2023.
According to a statement issued on Friday by Ajuri Ngelale, the spokesman of the president said in “invoking the Principle of the Presidential Prerogative of Mercy,” President Tinubu has approved the waiver.
The statement recalled that after several constructive engagements between the federal government and NARD, the Resident Doctors called off their strike on August 12, 2023.
It also affirmed that the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation was directed to withhold all salaries accrued by striking NARD members during the 17 days of their strike action.
It added: “In view of the faithful implementation of terms which were agreed upon during the fruitful deliberations between the Resident Doctors and the Federal Government of Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu has directed the grant of an exceptional last waiver of the “No Work, No Pay” Order on Resident Doctors, which will allow for the members of the NARD to receive the salaries which were previously withheld during the 17-day strike action.
“The President has directed the grant of the waiver with a mandatory requirement that the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment must secure a Document of Understanding (DoU) establishing that this exceptional waiver granted by the President will be the last one to be granted to the National Association of Resident Doctors and all other Health Sector Unions.”
