Resident doctors begin nationwide strike

The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has commenced an indefinite strike over the failure of the federal government to meet its demands.

The association resolved to take this action after its national executive council meeting which ended in the early hours of Monday in Abuja.

Some of the demands of the association include the payment of the salary arrears of its members in federal and state health institutions and the upgrade of its members who have met the requisite criteria for promotion.

In July, NARD issued a warning to the government that it would embark on an indefinite strike if its demands were not met.

“Neither the federal nor state governments has shown commitment to the resolution of issues at stake nor honoured previous agreements,” Olusegun Olaopa, president of NARD University College Hospital, Ibadan, had said in a statement.

“Consequent upon this, the association resolved to proceed on a total indefinite industrial action from Monday, September 4, 2017, until all these issues are permanently resolved.

“Nationwide pre-strike protests against this injustice are to hold in all our branches and states of the federation on August 30, 2017.

“All heads of tertiary health institutions who have received funding for payments to our members should be directed to pay same immediately.”

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is currently on strike over the failure of the government to meet its demands, which include the payment of the earned allowances of its members.