Doctors under the umbrella of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH) on Monday, July 22, 2024, embarked on a five-day warning strike over the non-payment of salaries owed some of their members.
The vice president of NARD, ABUTH chapter, Ashiru Mikail, while speaking at a press conference in Zaria, the management of the hospital had earlier received an ultimatum on July 15. 2024, over the impending strike action.
According to Mikail, the association had expected that the hospital’s management upon receiving their ultimatum will address their demands which include the payment of a backlog of salaries owed to their members.
He, however, stated that the ultimatum expired on Sunday, July 21, 2024, without the necessary action from the management, hence the commencement of the warning strike.
Mikail said that the association would reconvene to review its strategy at the expiration of the warning strike to determine the next line of action.
Some of NARD’s demands
He also noted that NARD rejects percentage salary payments for members on the GIFMIS platform, and demands repayment of parts of their salaries withheld.
In June, the salaries of affected members were slashed by about 25 to 27 per cent representing N58,000 to N60,000.
He said, “Despite the harsh economic challenges in the country, no reasonable reasons for the deductions were advanced to the association by the management.
“The management proposed to pay N2 million to offset the arrears of accoutrement allowance per month from the overhead cost.
“This amount can only pay N5,000 per member monthly as against the N100,000 owed to each member.
“More than 60 per cent of the Federal Tertiary Health institutions in the North West zone have commenced payments of the arrears of accoutrement allowance but ABUTH has not, but rather proposed to pay N5,000 instead of N25,000,” Mikail said.
The association’s vice president also stated that NARD in addition, demands the implementation of the 25 per cent CONMESS upward review to the salaries of members who were on the GIFMIS platform among other demands.
