No Work, No Pay – FG Tells Doctors As They Prepare For Warning Strike
The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), which is scheduled to strike for five days starting today, May 17, has been encouraged not to by the federal government.
Dr. Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment, acknowledged receiving a letter from a NARD executive informing him of the upcoming strike, and he promised to put the no work, no pay policy into effect should the strike occur.
Ngige said he spoke with the minister of health, who told him that his office has planned a meeting with the physicians for today. He recommended the doctors to take advantage of this chance for communication with their employer rather than going on an illegal warning strike.
He noted that the Federal Government has the right to also withhold the salaries of the doctors for the duration of the warning strike.
According to him, the federal government would use the money to pay ad-hoc workers that would be employed by the teaching hospitals during the strike.
Ngige said;
“I will advise them to attend the meeting with the Minister of Health tomorrow. I will also advise them very strongly not to go on a five-day warning strike. There is nothing like a warning strike. A strike is a strike.
“If they want to take that risk, the options are there. It is their decision. They have the right to strike. You cannot deny them that right. But their employer has another right under Section 43 of the Trade Dispute Act, to withhold their pay for those five days.
“So, if the NARD has strike funds to pay their members for those five days, no problem. The Health Minister will instruct the teaching hospitals to employ adhoc people for those five days and they will use the money of the people who went on strike to pay the adhoc doctors.
“That is the ILO principles at decent work, especially for those rendering essential services. Lives should be protected.
“One of my sons is a resident doctor. I will advise him to go to work and sign the attendance register. The people seen at work are the ones to receive their pay. If you don’t work, their will be no pay.”