From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
A major strike that might have crippled the health sector was averted at the weekend as the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, moved swiftly to meet the demands of senior doctors on the platform Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MEDCAN), who were set to embark on strike over salary placement issues.
Top government sources who exclusively confirmed the development to Sunday Sun on phone revealed that Ngige’s intervention came via a directive to the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission to immediately halt the movement of consultants from CONMESS to CONUAS salary scale, which has been complied with.
A source in the disclosed commended the Minister of Labour for what the source described as a timely intervention, which prevented the entire health sector from being brought to its knees in the face of the ongoing strike of the resident doctors.
“You can’t even imagine the horror when MEDCAN joins NARD in a strike. That is a double whammy. But we’re glad the Labour Minister intervened, so this strike will not hold and other issues around doctors interests will be addressed,” the source said.
MEDCAN is a body of seasoned medical consultants that teach and guide the resident doctors in their professional operation towards becoming specialists and consultants in their areas of specialization.
MEDCAN had on July 26, 2021 issued a 21-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to correct the unwarranted removal of the consultants from CONMESS to CONUAS salary scale by their employing universities who had earlier placed them on CONMESS upon appointment about 10 years ago.
The letter, which moved them to CONUAS came through a circular by National Salaries Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) to the Accountant General of the Federation (ACGF) with reference No. SWC /5/04/S.410/T86 and dated 23/04/21. The letter requested that all medical doctors in the employment of universities and who do extra clinical teaching of the medical students or pre-clinical teaching of medical students in the colleges of medicine should all be moved from CONMESS to CONUAS salary structure. This has resulted in the loss of some allowances and even basic pay with the attendant loss of income.
The doctors, sequel to this, approached the NSIWC for reversal but met a brick wall. Still not relenting, they approached the court and secured an injunction against the NSIWC and the Accountant General of the Federation but both institutions did not budge.
To resolve the impasse, the Minister of Labour and Employment waded into the matter on August 6, 2021 given that the consultants were the only ones now offering services in the various hospitals and medical centres with NARD still on strike.
Consequently, the minister on Thursday directed the chairman of the National Salaries Income and Wages Commission to halt the implementation of the obnoxious circular in obedience to the court order obtained by the doctors in order to facilitate reconciliation devoid of rancor.
The Minister also directed the NSIWC to reverse the instruction to the Accountant General of the Federation and return the medical consultants pay to the status quo in obedience to the court order that both the NSIWC and the office of the Accountant General from implementing the circular. Ngige also wrote to the Ministry of Finance not to affect the content of the NSIWC letter pending the conclusion of the matter in court.