SAN FRANCISCO, September 07 (THEWILL) – The National Association of Resident Doctors, NARD, on Thursday refused to call off the industrial action it embarked upon despite holding a marathon meeting with representatives of the Federal Government at the Federal Secretariat in Abuja.
The 13-hour meeting with the leadership of NARD which began on Wednesday spilled into the early hours of Thursday, and was attended by the Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige; his Health counterpart, Prof. Isaac Adewole; and the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire.
The resident doctors had on Monday
declared a nationwide strike owing to the failure of the government to meet its demands. It is, among other things, asking the government to pay arrears of salaries owed members as well as to upgrade those who have met the requisite criteria for promotion.
The Ministry of Labour, in a statement, disclosed that the strike would continue until at least Friday when the doctors are expected to meet to review the offer by the government on their demands including payment of salary arrears owed.
“The meeting agreed that NARD national officers will present the outcome of the re-negotiated Memorandum of Terms of settlement to an emergency meeting of its members by Friday September 8, 2017 with a view to suspending the strike once there is evidence of payment of the mandate as presented to the meeting, to the affected institutions,” the statement read.
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