The Lagos State chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association has dared the state government, saying it would join the proposed nationwide strike by medical doctors, in spite of the government’s threat of no-work, no-pay.
The Lagos State Government on Friday asked doctors in its public health sector not to join their counterparts in other parts of the country on their proposed nationwide strike.
In a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Lateef Ibirogba, the state government threatened it would not hesitate to enforce the “a no-work-no- pay’’ policy against doctors that refused to report at their duty posts as at when scheduled.
Reacting to the threat, the Publicity Secretary of NMA in the state, Dr. Peter Ogunnubi told SUNDAY PUNCH that the doctors would not be cowed by the move of the state government.
Ogunnubi said since the state government could not stop lecturers in the Lagos State University from joining the strike of Academic Staff Union of Universities, it should not try to stop doctors in the state hospitals from joining the nationwide NMA strike.
He said, “Did they threaten LASU lecturers when they joined the ASUU strike that lasted about six months? Till today LASU has not resumed. Their threat will not hold. We pray that the Federal Government will meet our demands; that way we won’t go on strike. But if doesn’t, we will go on strike irrespective of what Lagos State government is saying. We will go and let’s see what the state will do.
“Lagos State was about the worst state in labour matters. Lagos State Government is the one contracting staff. The industrial court has asked them to stop contracting workers; that it is anti-labour. They are now contracting doctors. They are even the worst in the health sector. We are looking for an opportunity to protest these things. Once the national NMA calls the strike everybody will follow. We cannot afford to be cowed.”
After its warning strike in December, 2013, the NMA had directed its members to commence a nationwide strike on January 6, if the Federal Government failed to meet its demands.
The NMA has been protesting against poor working conditions, inadequate funding, and poor infrastructure in the nation’s health sector.
Copyright PUNCH.
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