Medical doctors in Lagos has declared a three-day warning strike over the state government’s failure to meet their demands.
The doctors under the auspices of Medical Guild are embarking on strike over wage disparity between the Federal and Lagos state doctors, COVID-19 Hazard allowances and inducement allowances MOU approved by the Federal Government.
Other concerns are non-payment of doctors working in isolation centre as well as unceremonious disengagement of doctors in the isolation centres without recourse to their welfare.
The Chairman of the Medical Guild in Lagos, Dr Oluwajimi Sodipo, disclosed this in a statement released on Sunday.
Sodipo stated that will begin 8 am on Monday and end on Thursday 16th, 2020.
According to the guild, the 3-day warning strike is a total strike that involves all cadres of doctors irrespective of Grade Levels and no emergency services permitted.
He said the doctors are embarking on the strike after the ultimatum given to the Lagos State Government had expired.
The chairman noted that the Congress of the Guild had on June 27 extended the two weeks ultimatum to the state government, after expiration of its initial 21 days ultimatum to resolve the issues.
According to him, the grace period was given to the government to meet 70 per cent of the doctors’ demands in order to avert the strike.
He, however, stated that the Council, after its meeting on July 11, observed that some of the demands were unresolved by the government.
Sodipo said the demands of the Guild include the wage disparity between the federal and Lagos doctors, stressing that;
The issues of COVID-19 hazard allowance and inducement allowances MOU approved by the federal government to her doctors have not been approved by the Lagos State Government to her doctors.
He noted that in view of the complaints, the Representative Council resolved to embark on 3-day warning strike with the exemption of Members working in the COVID 19 isolation centres.
Read his full statement below;
COMMUNIQUE OF MEDICAL GUILD REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON SATURDAY, 11th July ,2020 FOLLOWING THE DIRECTIVE OF THE MEDICAL GUILD CONGRESS
Following the Emergency Congress of the Medical Guild which held on 27th June, 2020 and resolved that the previous 21 days ultimatum given to LASG be extended by a further two weeks during which Representative Council meeting should be held to review the resolutions of the congress and activate the 3 day warning strike if 70% of the Guild demands are not met while Officers Committee should continue negotiations with government before the Representative Council meeting, the Rep. Council meeting was held today, Saturday,11th July, 2020 through virtual meeting.
Chairman gave detailed report on the the demands of the Medical Guild, also informed the council that the LASG has not held any physical/virtual meeting with the Medical Guild since the Congress decision to extend the expired ultimatum, as earlier planned meetings were not convened by the government.
After robust deliberations, council observed that the following are some of the unresolved demands of the Guild:
i) That the wage disparity between federal and Lagos State doctors is not being given necessary attention by the government.
ii) That the issue of COVID-19 hazard allowances and inducement allowances MOU approved by the Federal Government to her doctors has not been approved by LASG to her doctors.
iii) That doctors working in the COVID 19 isolation centres are still being owed two months salaries which has remained unpaid at the moment. They are also being unceremoniously disengaged without recourse to their welfare.
iv) That the issue of our members being infected and reinfected on a daily basis is still not getting required attention from government.
v) Issue of shortage of doctors in the health facilities are yet to be resolved and with no visible substantive action taken by Government to resolve the issue.
In view of the above, the Representative Council resolved to activate the resolution of the congress on a 3-day warning strike to commence from 8am on Monday, 13th July till 8am on Thursday, 16th July 2020 with the exemption of Members working in the COVID 19 isolation centres.
The congress is to be reconvened after the 3 days warning strike to review the progress made and plan for further actions.
