ABUTH resident doctors begin five-day warning strike

The National Association of Resident Doctors, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, has commenced a five-day warning strike over the non-payment of salaries owed to some members.

The branch association’s Vice President, Dr. Ashiru Mikail made this known during a news conference on Monday in Zaria, Kaduna State.

Mikail said that the association on July 15, 2024, gave a one-week ultimatum to the hospital management to address their demands or be faced with a warning strike.

He, however, noted that the request had expired on Sunday, July 21, 2024, hence the commencement of the warning strike.

He said the association would reconvene to review its strategy after the warning strike to determine the next line of action, adding that it rejects percentage salary payments for members on the GIFMIS platform, and demands repayment of parts of their withheld salaries.

According to him, in June 2024, 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 who were paid in percentage in June were being owed salary arrears for 2021.

Mikail stated, “Despite 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 be paid N5,000 per member monthly as against the N100,000 owed to 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 lamented.

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

NAN