ABUTH doctors embark on five-day warning strike over unpaid salaries

The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) of the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH) has commenced a five-day warning strike over owed salaries. 

Ashiru Mikail, the association’s vice-president, announced the development during a news conference in Kaduna on Monday.

Mikail said on July 15, the association gave the management of the hospital a one-week ultimatum to address their demands.

He said the ultimatum expired on Sunday, hence the commencement of the warning strike.

Mikail said in June, salaries of affected members were slashed by about 25 to 27 percent, representing N58,000 to N60,000.

“In spite of the harsh economic challenges in the country, no reasonable reasons for the deductions were advanced to the association by the management,” NAN quoted him as saying.

“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 each member.

“More than 60 percent 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.”

He said the association demands the implementation of the 25 percent consolidated medical salary scale (CONMESS).

The president said the association would reconvene to review its strategy after the warning strike.