Resident Doctors Suspend Strike For Six Weeks

The National Association of Resident Doctors has suspended its nationwide strike for six weeks in order to give room to the government to sort some issues regarding the demands of the union.

The strike which began on August 2 has been suspended with effect from 8 am, Wednesday, according to the President of the association, Dr. Godiya Ishaya.

Ishaya, in an interview with the media, said, “We are suspending the strike for six weeks to give room for movement in some of the items we noticed a stalemate. There was a stalemate in the enrollment of our members into the IPPIS and payment of their areas.

“The government was invoking the trade dispute article 41, that is the ‘no work, no pay.’ And since they have been enrolled into IPPIS, it means there was not going to be any salary into their accounts. Without them being paid, they won’t get their areas; that was a stalemate we felt we should give a window to see if the government can start paying them salaries and push their areas into their accounts.

“On the issue of ‘no work, no pay,’ we have not agreed to forfeit our salaries. The strike was unnecessarily prolonged because of the government’s response to the strike. Instead of sitting on the table, the government decided to go to court and that kept prolonging negotiation.”

Ishaya added that the National Executive Council of the Association would meet after six weeks to determine the next line of action.