10th September, 2020
By Kazeem Ugbodaga
The National Association of Resident Doctors, NARD, has called off the nationwide strike it embarked on to press home demands for improved welfare.
The doctors began the nationwide strike last Monday.
The doctors had demanded immediate payment of the Medical Residency Training funding to all its members as approved in the revised 2020 budget; provision of genuine Group life insurance and death in service benefits for all health workers, among others.
But its National President, Dr Aliyu Sokomba said on Thursday that the strike had been called off after reaching agreement with the Federal Government.
According to him, discussion continued with the Federal Government on Friday on other issues affecting the resident doctors.
The meeting which led to the suspension of the strike was at the instance of the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige where substantial agreements were arrived at.
The doctors had demanded payment of the outstanding April/May and June COVID-19 inducement allowance to all health workers; determination of the revised hazard allowance for all health workers as agreed in previous meetings with relevant stakeholders and immediate payment of the salary shortfalls of 2014, 2015 and 2016.
They also wanted doctors working under the various tertiary health institutions to be placed on appropriate salary grade level and universal implementation of the Medical Residency Training Act of 2017 in all state tertiary health institutions and payment of all arrears owed members in Federal and states tertiary health institutions, arising from the consequential adjustment of the National minimum wage.