Chairman of the Lagos Branch of the Medical Guild, Dr. Ayobode Williams
Medical doctors in Lagos State on Sunday suspended their 14-week-old strike, with the Medical Guild directing its members to resume at all its facilities within the state by 8am on Monday (today). The Chairman of the Lagos Branch of the Medical Guild, Dr. Ayobode Williams, stated this shortly after the union’s congress held at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja.
He said the doctors had agreed to return to their duty posts, following a new agreement with the state government to implement the new Consolidated Medical Salary Structure in January 2011.
The union leader said, “The congress of the Medical Guild decided to suspend the 14-week-old strike to give way for government to show sincerity in all that it has promised to do.
“At this point, the congress also went ahead to say that if within 72 hours, the original salaries are not paid, the congress may have to reconvene on Friday for possible actions.
“But if the money is paid, then the congress would have to reconvene again in February to review all the promises of the government, including our immediate past chairman, taxation, issues of CONMESS, salary arrears and other issues.
“So, at this point, the strike is hereby suspended and work resumes at 8am tomorrow morning in all our facilities.”
According to Williams, the executive of the Medical Guild met with the state’s Head of Service, Mr. Adesegun Ogunlewe, and the Commissioner for Establishment, Pensions and Training, Mr. Jide Sanwo-Olu, on Saturday and it was agreed that the CONMESS would be paid.
The state government, in its bid to end the strike two weeks ago, offered to implement 75 per cent of the CONMESS agreement. But this was rejected by the doctors.
However, Williams said the state government had since agreed to pay the salary, which would not put Lagos doctors in a comparative disadvantaged position to their counterparts in other states.
Reading from the agreement jointly signed by him and Ogunlewe, Williams said the state government agreed to pay the withheld salaries of doctors for the months of September and October 2010.
It also agreed to revisit the sacking of the former chairman of the Medical Guild, Dr. Ibrahim Olaifa, for his role in the strike.
He said the state government also promised that it would not victimise any of the doctors for participating in the strike.
Source:http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201011221233515
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