The Federal Government (FG) has further drawn the battle line, as it forces Chief Medical Directors (CMD) and Managing Directors of Federal Tertiary Hospitals to invoke the no-work-no-pay rule against striking members of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD).
Recall that the resident doctors resumed an indefinite strike on August 2, 2021 due to the failure of the government to meet most of their demands.
After the resumption of the strike, the government tried all means to get the striking doctors back to work, including threatening the doctors with the “no work, no pay” rule, but all to no avail.
Following the resistance of NARD to this order, FG filed a suit against the association, asking the court to restrain members of NARD from continuing with the industrial action. But the doctors have remained adamant.
However, the Federal Government has now gone ahead to enforce the ‘no work, no pay rule’.
This directive was disclosed in a letter dated August 26 and signed by the Director of Hospital Services, Federal Ministry of Health, Adebimpe Adebiyi.
According to the directive: “The ministry is in receipt of the letter from the Ministry of Labour and Employment informing the ministry of the laws governing the ongoing strike by the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors and the need to immediately apply the provisions of the Section 43 (1) (a) of the Trade Dispute Act on ‘special provision with respect to payment of wages during strike and lockouts’ known in labour parlance as no-work-no-pay with effect from Monday, August 2, 2021 when the strike was commenced by NARD members,
“Consequently on the above, I am directed to inform you to commence the implementation of the no-work-no-pay policy on the striking doctors including other workers that may embark on strike consequently.
“This directive is in line with Section 43 (1) (a) of the trade dispute act which inter alia states ‘where any worker takes part in a strike, he shall not be entitled to any wages or remuneration for the period of the strike.
“And any such period shall not account for the purpose of reckoning the period of continuous employment and all rights dependent on continuity of employment shall be prejudicially affected accordingly.”
