Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Aaron Cole
Published on 2024-04-04 16:11:43
The Ondo State Government has started the process of paying salary arrears to resident doctors at the University of Medical Science Teaching Hospital (UNIMEDTH). According to reports, the health workers received their payments for the salary arrears on Wednesday, following a 14-day warning strike they had embarked on.
Bayo Philip, the Ondo State Head of Service, released a statement on Thursday confirming the commencement of payments for the two months’ arrears of hazard allowance to resident doctors and the four to five months’ salary arrears to new employees, as promised by the government. The statement also mentioned Governor Aiyedatiwa’s commitment to resolving the issue of salary disparity between Ondo State health workers and their counterparts in other states.
The statement emphasized that the government was working towards achieving pay parity and had formed a joint committee with NMA officials to address the salary disparity issue. The government’s efforts to equalize health workers’ salaries in the state with those in other states were highlighted.
The association of resident doctors at the institution confirmed the receipt of payments by the state government, hinting that the ongoing strike might come to an end soon. The union president, John Matthew, indicated that while some members had received their salary arrears, there were still others awaiting payment, and efforts were being made to compile the names of those yet to be paid.
The background of the situation revealed that the strike initially began on April 2nd in protest of the non-payment of salaries to new workers for seven months. The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) led the strike, citing issues such as the exclusion of house officers from palliatives and incomplete payment of hazard allowance to its members. The association reported that 14 resident doctors who joined the institution in late 2023 were still awaiting salary payments, despite numerous appeals to the state government and the institution’s management.
Mr. Matthew also expressed concerns about the delayed disbursement of the February hazard allowance and the unfavorable working conditions of doctors at the institution due to staff shortages. He mentioned that house officers had been excluded from receiving monthly palliatives entitled to health workers in the state.
The association had threatened to escalate the strike to an indefinite one if their demands were not met after the initial 14-day warning period. The statement highlighted the association’s efforts to resolve the issues through peaceful means before resorting to strike action.
Overall, the state government’s efforts to address the salary arrears and bring the salaries of health workers in Ondo State in line with those of other states have been met with positive responses from the resident doctors’ association. The ongoing dialogue between the government and the health workers indicates a willingness to find a resolution to the issues affecting the healthcare workers in the state.
Read the original article on Premium Times
