Strikes Won’t Be Tolerated During Transition – Ngige

The Federal Government has warned it would no longer tolerate stikes that do not follow due process by any union during the transition period of President Muhammadu Buhari, the Minister of Labour and Employment Chris Ngige has stated.

Ngige issued the warning, shortly after receiving an “Award of Excellence,” conferred on him by the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) at the 42nd Annual General Meeting/Scientific Conference of the association.

He was presented with the award by the immediate past executive of NARD, which led the new executive on a courtesy/thank you visit to his office in Abuja.

During the visit, the new leadership also raised some concerns of the doctors, chief of which is the review of the Consolidated Medical Salary Scale (CONMESS) wage structure.

Others are the correction of some minor errors in the circular on upward review of the Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF), non-taxation of the call duty allowance and non-payment of the new hazard allowances to house officers.

Speaking on the review of CONMESS, Ngige noted that a committee had already been put in place at the Federal Ministry of Health, which was working internally for the time being but would swing into action next week, to dialogue with the resident doctors and members of the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU).