National Industrial court orders resident doctors to end strike and resume work immediately

The National Industrial Court, Abuja, on Wednesday has ordered the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) to cease its industrial action immediately.

Delivering a ruling in an order of interim injunction, the judge, Ibrahim Galadima, also ordered NARD to resume duties forthwith pending determination of the pending motion on notice.

Mr Galadima made the order as a sequel to an ex parte application filed by Frank Tietie, counsel to the applicant, Citizens Advocacy for Social&Economic Rights and Association of Women in Trade&Agriculture.

In the application, the applicant had prayed for an interim order of the court directing the NARD, being a provider of the essential services of health necessary to the fundamental right to life, to immediately cease its strike action and resume duties forthwith pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.

The court, after granting the prayer, also fixed Oct. 8, for the hearing of the substantive suit.

Joined as co-respondents in the motion are the Minister of Health, Minister of Labour&Productivity and Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that NARD embarked on the strike on Sept. 7 to resolve issues bordering on group life insurance for doctors and other health care workers.

Part of their grievance was also payments of death-in-service benefit to next of kin/beneficiaries, universal implementation of the Medical Residency Training Act in all federal and state hospitals.

NARD equally wanted the review of the hazard allowance of healthcare workers and payment of the COVID-19 inducement allowance.