CDWR Backs Strike By Oyo Resident Doctors, Tertiary Institutions

The Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights (CDWR), Oyo State chapter, has supported the ongoing indefinite strike declared by resident doctors of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso, and workers across the six state’s tertiary institutions.

The CDWR’s coordinator in the state, Bamigboye Abiodun, said it was evident that these workers were forced to embark on these actions due to the government’s failure to address their legitimate grievances, which revolve around poor working conditions and inadequate pay.

It noted that the memo signed by the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) president, Stephen Adedokun, and the general secretary, Adedapo Mustapha, expressly indicated that the resident doctors embarked on the strike due to the non-implementation of the consequential adjustment of the new minimum wage of N70, 000, neglect in repairing dilapidated call rooms, and severe manpower shortages across all departments.

Other issues included the non-implementation of accoutrement allowance, delays in the payment of upgrade arrears owed to members, delayed payment of examination and update course refunds and the non-payment of the Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF).

It added that Dr. Kola Lawal, Chairman of the Joint Action Committee (JAC), a joint platform of about 15 different workers’ unions across state-owned tertiary institutions, also revealed through a statement that workers in these institutions were forced to embark on the ongoing indefinite strike due to the government’s continued refusal to implement the 25/35% salary increase approved since January 2024, the new minimum wage for workers in the polytechnic and college of education sectors, and the upward review of the government subvention released to these institutions.

The six affected state-owned institutions were the Polytechnic, Ibadan; the Oke-Ogun Polytechnic, Saki; Adeseun Ogundoyin Polytechnic, Eruwa; Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology, Igboora; and Oyo State College of Education, Lanlate.

Given these related and similar issues concerning poor pay and working conditions, which have led to the ongoing indefinite strike by resident doctors at LAUTECH Teaching Hospital and workers in Oyo State tertiary institutions, CDWR said it was evident that the Makinde-led government cannot be described as worker-friendly.

“As far as we are concerned, the ongoing indefinite strikes in both the health and education sectors have further exposed that all of the Makinde-led government’s media publicity surrounding the minimum wage and workers’ welfare are mere grandstanding and propaganda.

“No genuinely worker-friendly government would be insensitive to issues affecting the welfare and working conditions of its workforce, as demonstrated in the cases of the resident doctors at LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso, and workers across Oyo State tertiary institutions”.