The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has declared a five-day warning strike over the failure of the Federal Government to meet its demands.
The resident doctors said the strike will commence on Wednesday, May 17, and end on Monday, May 22.
The decision to down tool was taken after the doctors’ extraordinary National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held virtually on Monday.
The association had, on April 29, issued a two-week ultimatum to the Federal Government to implement the agreements or face industrial action. The ultimatum, however, ended on Saturday, May 13, 2023.
The resident doctors have been at loggerheads with the Federal Government over poor remuneration, and better welfare for their members among other concerns.
They are demanding an immediate increment in the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure to the tune of 200 per cent of the current gross salary of doctors and the new allowances included in the letter written by the association to the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, on July 7, 2022, on the review of CONMESS.
The NARD also demanded the immediate payment of the 2023 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF) in line with the agreements reached at the stakeholders’ meeting convened by the Federal Ministry of Health.
It equally demanded the commencement of payment of all salary arrears owed to its members including 2014, 2015, and 2016 salary arrears as well as areas of the consequential adjustment of the minimum wage.
