. Accuses govt of anti-labour policies

 

THE Lagos State Chapter of the Medical Guild has accused Lagos State Government of vendetta alleging being singled out for victimization by withholding their three months’ salary for participating in the last nationwide strike action called by their umbrella body, Nigerian Medical Association (NMA).

 

They have also accused the government of flagrant impunity in approach to issues, high-handedness, anti-labour policies, which includes under-payment of their members, over taxing and short staffing. Others include work overload, employment of casual doctors and total disregard and neglect of the affairs of the sector warning that if their appeal and demands are not addressed, they would have no option other than to embark on an industrial action.

 

   They said these at the weekend during a media parley at the association’s secretariat, Idiroko, Lagos State, to address the frosty relationship between the association and the state government held.

 

 Chairman, Dr. Biyi Kufo said that it has become obvious that there is a sort of vendetta against the association from the government, which includes being singled-out for an “unwritten no work, no pay policy,” which he described is ab initio, a military decree and as such undemocratic.

 

   Disclosing that even when the members actually worked on one of the months, which the salary is withheld, the government had refused to pay them even after series of letters written to the Governor and Commissioners for Health and that of Establishments, State House Committee on Health, dialogue and involvement of All Progressive Congress (APC) stalwarts, NMA and relevant stakeholders in the sector; and wondered why a beneficiary of a party largesse could not listen to the advice of the party.

 

   Chronicling the events of last two years, he said: “On April 3, 2012, following the failure of the Lagos State Government to implement the mutual agreement reached with the Medical Guild, the congress of the association declared a three-day warning strike during its ordinary general meeting. After a meeting held with government failed to resolve the issue, the association embarked on a three-day warning strike to sensitize the public on the 11th of the same month.

 

   “On the April 16, members received invitations to appear before disciplinary panel at the Health Service Commission and Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH). The congress on 24th declared an indefinite strike action at an Emergency Congress held at Lagos General Hospital following a provocation by government of which a detachment of policemen from Lion Building, Lagos Island, besieged the venue with guns, armored personnel carriers with attempt made to arrest the Chairman, Dr. Peter Odusote.

 

   “Three days pay was deducted from our April salary as a punishment for the warning strike embarked upon to press for the mutual agreement the government reached with the Guild on CONMESS in 2010. On May 8, government sacked 788 doctors for participating on the strike action and salary of members withheld as a fallout of the industrial action.

 

   “In June 2014, an official correspondence on the NMA National ultimatum on an impending national strike action from July 1, 2014 was sent to the State Ministry of Health by the NMA, Lagos State branch and Medical Guild which was fully complied with by members as directed.