Doctors’ Strike: FG Insists On No-Work, No-Pay Policy

*Embarking On Strike During Pandemic Dangerous,
Unconscionable
*Denies Threatening To Sack Doctors

The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, has urged resident
doctors to call off their ongoing strike, saying that embarking on
industrial action amid the third wave of COVID-19, cholera outbreak
in 22 states and a Marburg virus outbreak is unconscionable.

This is as he said that the Federal Government will enforce the
International Labour Organisation’s policy of “No Work, No Pay”, if
the doctors continue the strike, stressing that doctors will not be
paid from taxpayers’ money for doing nothing.

He also denied threatening to sack resident doctors who withdrew
their services nationwide since August 2, 2021, over alleged poor
conditions of service, explaining that all the engagements and
consultations so far have been to appeal to them to call off the
strike.

Ehanire said this on Thursday, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja,
during the 18th ministerial briefing organised by the Presidential
Communication Team.

The minister said most of the 12 demands raised by the striking
resident doctors have been met by the government while the others
are under the jurisdiction of states, and not the Federal
Government.

Ehanire said, “We have said openly that this is not a good time
for doctors to go on strike. We’re having a strike for the third
time this year, which is not good. We have appealed to them. We
have been having long meetings with young doctors to tell them that
look, we have a certain responsibility to our country.

“Every country that has a difficult situation at this time
should understand that responsibility is on all of us. If you have
any problem, any grudge, let’s talk about it. If we can’t solve it
now, let’s continue talking about it until we find a solution but
don’t drop work.

“I think Nigeria is probably the only country in the world today
where doctors are dropping work in the middle of a threat to the
whole country. So that’s what we have advised. There has been no
threat. Nobody threatened anything. We are just appealing, all of
us are doctors, all of us went through the same residency. We’re
saying this is not the time, let’s continue to talk about it.

“Do not put people’s lives at risk. That’s what the Minister of
Labour has been saying, that is what the Minister of Health has
been saying. Nobody has threatened anybody with anything.”

When asked about the no-work no-pay threat, the Minister said:
“Yes, but that’s a standard thing. That’s the International Labour
Organisation recommendation that if you did not work, then why will
you take?

“Your salary comes from taxpayers’ money. So, if you did not
work, why should you be paid? Because if that is so you can be
encouraged to stay home for six months and your salary is running
from public funds, from taxpayers’ money, when you have not given
the community any service.

“So, that no-work no-pay is not just the government regulation,
it is specifically stated in the International Labour Organisation
that if you do not work if you have not given any service, you
can’t expect remuneration. Because you can’t go to the market and
buy something for nothing. You must put down something, you must
put down work.

“You cannot go to the market and take goods without paying. So,
if you work, you will be paid. And we are strongly in support of
the government meeting its obligations to pay what is agreed. We
have said that we shall push for that, you know, working with the
salaries and wages commission, the head of service, we are working
to support that including paying all the insurance dues.”

The minister said the Federal Government is not entirely
responsible for meeting all the demands raised by the doctors,
saying, “Part of the problem we have is that some of the grudges
that they have, or let us say, the demands, are with state
governments, not the federal government. So, if the state
government has not paid some people a salary, why go on a
nationwide strike?

“Among the 12 original demands that they made, seven were
state-related. They’re not federal. The Federal Government cannot
compel a state to pay you a certain salary that you want. But the
ones that are concerning us at the federal level, many of them are
not even exactly the Ministry of Health either.

“But we support them and those with what strike is not a good
tool to use. And especially when the health of the country is
threatened, when people will come out and volunteer in other
countries to work. That is not the time to withdraw your service.
And I think again, we’ll continue to appeal to young doctors not to
use the strike as a tool, especially at a time of national need
that will not rest well on your conscience.”

*Embarking On Strike During Pandemic Dangerous,
Unconscionable
*Denies Threatening To Sack Doctors

The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, has urged resident
doctors to call off their ongoing strike, saying that embarking on
industrial action amid the third wave of COVID-19, cholera outbreak
in 22 states and a Marburg virus outbreak is unconscionable.

This is as he said that the Federal Government will enforce the
International Labour Organisation’s policy of “No Work, No Pay”, if
the doctors continue the strike, stressing that doctors will not be
paid from taxpayers’ money for doing nothing.

He also denied threatening to sack resident doctors who withdrew
their services nationwide since August 2, 2021, over alleged poor
conditions of service, explaining that all the engagements and
consultations so far have been to appeal to them to call off the
strike.

Ehanire said this on Thursday, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja,
during the 18th ministerial briefing organised by the Presidential
Communication Team.

The minister said most of the 12 demands raised by the striking
resident doctors have been met by the government while the others
are under the jurisdiction of states, and not the Federal
Government.

Ehanire said, “We have said openly that this is not a good time
for doctors to go on strike. We’re having a strike for the third
time this year, which is not good. We have appealed to them. We
have been having long meetings with young doctors to tell them that
look, we have a certain responsibility to our country.

“Every country that has a difficult situation at this time
should understand that responsibility is on all of us. If you have
any problem, any grudge, let’s talk about it. If we can’t solve it
now, let’s continue talking about it until we find a solution but
don’t drop work.

“I think Nigeria is probably the only country in the world today
where doctors are dropping work in the middle of a threat to the
whole country. So that’s what we have advised. There has been no
threat. Nobody threatened anything. We are just appealing, all of
us are doctors, all of us went through the same residency. We’re
saying this is not the time, let’s continue to talk about it.

“Do not put people’s lives at risk. That’s what the Minister of
Labour has been saying, that is what the Minister of Health has
been saying. Nobody has threatened anybody with anything.”

When asked about the no-work no-pay threat, the Minister said:
“Yes, but that’s a standard thing. That’s the International Labour
Organisation recommendation that if you did not work, then why will
you take?

“Your salary comes from taxpayers’ money. So, if you did not
work, why should you be paid? Because if that is so you can be
encouraged to stay home for six months and your salary is running
from public funds, from taxpayers’ money, when you have not given
the community any service.

“So, that no-work no-pay is not just the government regulation,
it is specifically stated in the International Labour Organisation
that if you do not work if you have not given any service, you
can’t expect remuneration. Because you can’t go to the market and
buy something for nothing. You must put down something, you must
put down work.

“You cannot go to the market and take goods without paying. So,
if you work, you will be paid. And we are strongly in support of
the government meeting its obligations to pay what is agreed. We
have said that we shall push for that, you know, working with the
salaries and wages commission, the head of service, we are working
to support that including paying all the insurance dues.”

The minister said the Federal Government is not entirely
responsible for meeting all the demands raised by the doctors,
saying, “Part of the problem we have is that some of the grudges
that they have, or let us say, the demands, are with state
governments, not the federal government. So, if the state
government has not paid some people a salary, why go on a
nationwide strike?

“Among the 12 original demands that they made, seven were
state-related. They’re not federal. The Federal Government cannot
compel a state to pay you a certain salary that you want. But the
ones that are concerning us at the federal level, many of them are
not even exactly the Ministry of Health either.

“But we support them and those with what strike is not a good
tool to use. And especially when the health of the country is
threatened, when people will come out and volunteer in other
countries to work. That is not the time to withdraw your service.
And I think again, we’ll continue to appeal to young doctors not to
use the strike as a tool, especially at a time of national need
that will not rest well on your conscience.”