Memo issued from the Meeting of the Nigerian Medical Association with the Federal Ministry of Health; Office of the Head of Service of the Federation; Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission and Budget Office of the Federation in the Conference Room of the Minister of Labour & Productivity in Abuja on December 16, 2013.

 

In Attendance were:

Minister of Labour & Productivity, Emeka Wogu – Chairman Minister of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu Chairman of the House of Reps Committee on Health – Ndudi Elumelu; Chairman of NSIWC, R.O.Egbule.

 

Based on the intention of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) to embark on industrial action over issues of concern to its members, a meeting was held as stated above and the following decisions were reached:

 

i. The complaint on relativity in the Health Sector was noted from a historical perspective and it was agreed that the High Level Body (HLB) contained in the Report of the Committee on the Complaints of the NMA shall consider the two scenarios submitted by the Presidential Committee chaired by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF) on Relativity issue and take a decision accordingly.

 

ii. In view of the letter with reference No. HCSF/EPO/EIR/63755/T1/192 dated November 4, 2013 issued by the HCSF addressed to the Minister of Health, suspending unauthorized skipping, it was agreed that there was a need to issue another letter by the HCSF to enable the Medical Doctors in the Public Sector to skip CONMESS 2 pending the outcome of the Appeal in the Court. This shall be referred to the HCSF for further necessary action.

 

iii. The anomalies in the Call and Clinical Duty Allowances shall be corrected.

 

iv. The FMoH, NSIWC and NMA should urgently review the NMA’s proposal on skipping of CONTISS 10/CONHESS 10/CONMESS 2 in the new Scheme of Service with a view to amending it to reflect the suspension of the Circular on unauthorized skipping of equivalent of CONMESS 2 for Medical Doctors in the Public Service. The amended proposal shall be forwarded to the HCSF through the FMH for onward presentation to the forthcoming National Council on Establishment NCE holding on January 24, 2014 in Illorin.

 

v. The HLB shall meet and consider all other matters contained in the Report of the Presidential Committee chaired by the HCSF on the Complaints of the NMA.

 

vi. Considering the above MoU, the HLB shall meet before January 6, 2014 to take decisions on the issues referred to it, and circulars for implementation of the decisions on (i) and (iii) above shall be issued subsequently.

 

vii.In view of the above Agreements, it was agreed that the NMA shall convene a meeting of her members as soon as possible to present the MoU to them for consideration, with a view to putting on hold the Warning Strike scheduled to commence on Wednesday, December 18, 2013