Following the recently suspended strike by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), the Lagos state government has refused to pay working in its employment salaries for the period the strike was on.
Dr Abdulsalami Moruf, President, Association of Resident Doctors(ARD), Lagos State University Teaching Hospital(LASUTH), Ikeja, said that the state government has decided not to pay doctors’ September salary because of their July 2014 salary which Lagos state government said they paid in error while Lagos doctors observed NMA’s nationwide strike action.
Moruf said on Thursday, September 25, 2014, Lagos state paid all her employees except doctors, an action he described as selective victimization of Lagos doctors.
According to him,” Other doctors around the federation who participated in the strike have all been paid their August and September salaries except Lagos and Edo state. While Edo has promised to pay, Lagos has refused to pay stating they cannot go against their policy of no work, no pay.
“This is following a precedent set in May 2012 after a similar strike action by the Medical Guild. The salary of May 2012 of all Lagos state doctors employed doctors have not been paid till now based on no work, no pay.
” We say it is selective victimization because ASUU that was on strike nationwide for 4-5 months have their members from Lagos state paid, the Polytechnic lecturers strike lasted for 7-9 months and Lagos state Polytechnic lecturers have been paid, Judiciary workers also went on strike and they have been paid.
“So, the question is why the application of no work no pay applicable to only Lagos doctors. As we speak, the salaries of August and September has not been paid, meanwhile the doctors worked for 5 days in August and the whole of September.
“So, impasse has started between Lagos state and Lagos doctors, Lagos doctors is towing the path of advocacy and lobbying in order to forestall a fresh crises of the Lagos state health sector.
Moruf said they have decided to lobby so doctors won’t be perceived as people who don’t know how to lobby or negotiate except going on strike action.
Investigations by Sunday Sun revealed that some of the Lagos doctors were selectively paid their August and September salaries in order to divide the ranks of the doctors.
According to an authoritative source that pleaded for anonymity, it was gathered that some exco members of the Medical Guild were also selectively paid in order to weaken their resolve to fight for their colleagues who have not been paid.” Even the union leaders were the ones who were visibly on strike and ensured others joined the strike action. So the justification for paying them is something shrouded in secrecy,” the source said.
Efforts to the State’s Commissioner for Health for comment proved abortive.
from sunnewsonline
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