Subscribe: Gist E-Paper
The Federal Government on Tuesday averted a planned nationwide strike by the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) after reaching agreements with the association on outstanding salary, welfare and workplace concerns during a high-level meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The meeting, chaired by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, was attended by the Ministers of Labour, Health and Finance, the Director-General of the Budget Office, the Accountant-General of the Federation, officials of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), Cash Management representatives and the NARD leadership led by its President, Dr. Mohamed Suleiman.
The intervention followed NARD's seven-day ultimatum to the Federal Government, threatening to embark on an indefinite nationwide strike from August 10 over unpaid salary arrears, outstanding allowances, security concerns and delays in implementing previous agreements.
Among the doctors' key demands were the payment of Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) arrears, an increase in the approved salary adjustment from 25 to 35 per cent and the settlement of 19 months of outstanding professional allowance arrears.
After several hours of negotiations, both parties agreed on timelines for implementing the outstanding demands, with the Federal Government committing to address most of the issues within one week.
The agreements cover the payment of salary and promotion arrears, resolution of call-duty allowance issues affecting workers at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), and the completion of professional allowance payment templates.
The government also pledged to improve the prompt payment of salaries to house officers and accelerate discussions on the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
Speaking after the meeting, NARD President, Dr. Mohamed Suleiman, described the discussions as fruitful and praised Gbajabiamila for his intervention, noting that previous engagements with him had always produced positive outcomes.
He expressed confidence that the agreements reached would address the association's major concerns and eliminate the need for industrial action.
According to Suleiman, the government agreed to clear salary and promotion arrears within one week, while the call-duty allowance issues affecting LUTH workers would also be resolved within the same period.
He further disclosed that an agreement had been reached on the recruitment of house officers, with a standing directive that their salaries must be paid before the 10th day of every month to eliminate prolonged delays.
The NARD President said the government also made fresh concessions on the professional allowance template, while the Budget Office would conclude work on the outstanding financial components.
On the Collective Bargaining Agreement, he revealed that the Chief of Staff directed the Ministries of Labour and Health to fast-track negotiations so that the required approvals and financial provisions could be accommodated in the 2027 budget.
Suleiman also welcomed the government's commitment to improving the safety of healthcare workers, disclosing that efforts were underway to introduce legislation that would classify attacks on medical personnel as aggravated offences.
He lamented that no fewer than 31 doctors and more than 20 other health workers had been assaulted across the country within the last 10 months, underscoring the urgent need for stronger protection.
He added that the Federal Ministry of Health would issue fresh directives to hospitals to strengthen security, create safer working environments and intensify public awareness campaigns against violence targeting healthcare workers.
The agreements reached at the meeting are expected to halt the planned nationwide strike, provided the Federal Government fulfils the implementation timelines agreed with the resident doctors' association.
