Over failure of the state government to meet their demands, Medical doctors in Lagos on Monday began a three- day warning strike.
The doctors under the aegis of Medical Guild are striking over wage difference between the Federal and Lagos state doctors, COVID-19 Hazard allowances and inducement allowances MOU approved by the Federal Government, non-payment of doctors working in isolation centre as well as unceremoniously disengagement of doctors in the isolation centres without recourse to their welfare.
The Medical Guild served a 21 -day ultimatum to the state government and later extended it by two weeks during which the doctors and the officials of government met but failed to agree, GNB News learnt.
The Chairman of the Medical Guild, Dr. Oluwajimi Sodipo, announcing this at a press conference in Lagos shortly after meeting with the State Governor, Babatunde Sanwo-Olu, said the strike begins 8 am Monday and ends on Thursday 16th, 2020 adding that doctors in the isolation Centres were exempted from the strike.
Explaining the rationale behind the strike, Sodipo said; “if the state government had met 70 per cent of their demands within the period their ultimatum lasted and the two weeks extension, the strike would have been averted.
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Giving details of their demands, he said; “That the wage disparity between Federal and Lagos State doctors is not being given necessary attention by the government.
“That the issue of COVID-19 hazard allowances and inducement allowances MOU approved by the federal government to her doctors is not being approved by the state government to her doctors.
”That doctors working in the COVID-19 isolation Centres are still being owed two months salaries which have remained unpaid at the moment, they are also being unceremoniously disengaged.”
He further said the congress would reconvene at the end of the three days strike to review the progress made and plan for further action.
Commenting, Dr. Babajide Saheed, an ex-officio of the Medical Guild lamented that the government had the opportunity to avert the warning strike but failed to use it.
Saheed said; “The government had the opportunity to avert the warning strike if they had made efforts to do the needful.” they had made efforts to do the needful.”
He said if the government can come up with a circular to do the needful within 24 hours the strike could still be prevented.
