Buhari directs doctors to be paid for time they spent on strike

President Muhammadu Buhari has directed that doctors be paid their salary for all the time they spent on strike in 2018 and 2021.

This was disclosed by the minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, after a meeting with Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

According to Ngige, “Mr President has approved last week and I have the authority and letter, directing the Minister of Finance to release the funds of the resident doctors for September and October 2021, which was seized in conformity with the law.

“In the same vein, the approval also covers members of the JOHESU who went on strike in 2018 for three months. After the first month, after March, when they couldn’t come back, we asked that their pay be suspended, this is in tandem with the ILO principles at work.

“You have a right to strike, but the employer has a right to stop your remuneration and if possible, use it to keep his enterprise going by taking new hands, where possible, especially in essential services.

“So that same money for 2018 April and May Mr President has again approved that the Finance Minister refunds or reimburse on compassionate grounds, those payments.

“This is predicated on the grounds that this group of workers has been showing a lot of dedication and concern to the COVID and that their Hazard Allowance for 2021 had remained what it was before”.