ABUTH resident doctors commence 5-day warning strike

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

Dr Ashiru Mikail, Vice President of the association made this known during a news conference on Monday in Zaria.

Mikail said that the association on July 15, gave management of the hospital a one-week ultimatum to address their demands or be faced with a warning strike.

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

The president said that the association would reconvene to review its strategy after the warning strike with a view to determine the next line of action.

Mikail said that the association rejects percentage salary payments for members on the GIFMIS platform, and demand repayment of parts of their salaries withheld.

According to him, in June, the salaries of affected members were slashed by about 25 to 27 per cent representing N58, 000 to N60, 000.

He explained that the doctors that were paid in percentage in June were being owed salary arrears of 2021.

“In spite of the harsh economic challenges in the country, no reasonable reasons for the deductions were advanced to the association by the management.

“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 per cent 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.

He said that the association demands the implementation of the 25 per cent CONMESS upward review to the salaries of members who were on  GIFMIS platform among other demands.