Twenty-seven (27) days after they began industrial which resulted to paralyzed medical services across state-owned healthcare facilities, the Ogun State chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) announced the suspension of the strike, on Friday.
The decision followed an emergency general meeting convened by the striking medical doctors between August 27 and 29 in Abeokuta, the state’s capital.
The Chairman of NMA in Ogun State, Dr. Ogunjimi Luqman, announced the suspension at a press conference he addressed at the association’s state secretariat where he highlighting the reasons for the strike and the decision for its suspension.
He recalled that the union embarked upon the strike since August 3 following the failure of the State government to implement the reviewed Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) wage, which had been in effect for federal medical workers since June 2023.
He added that the decision to suspend the strike was motivated by the hardship faced by the public during the strike period.
According to the striking doctors, the strike would be halted for four weeks after which the situation will be subsequently reviewed for decision on the next line of action.
The body said that the one-month suspension is intended to facilitate a period of peaceful dialogue with the Ogun State government.
“The congress acknowledges the severe impact on the people of Ogun State due to the disruption in medical services.
“We have opted to suspend the strike for four weeks to allow for meaningful discussions and negotiations with the state government.”
“The emergency general meeting, which first convened on August 27 and reconvened on August 29, assessed the effectiveness of the strike and reviewed members’ compliance.
“The Congress also considered the progress of negotiations with the state government. Despite ongoing efforts by the NMA executives, the issue of wage disparity remains unresolved,” Luqman said.
Doctors in the state are required to resume for work on Monday September 2, 2024 at 8am as the association urged the Ogun State government to seize the cessation of strike window to address the association’s demands and prevent the continuation of the strike.
He noted that the response of the government in attending to the association’s demands will determine the outcome of the review when the chapter reconvenes on September 30, 2024.
“We hope that the state government will use this opportunity to resolve the issues at hand. Our members are dedicated to serving the public, but they cannot continue to do so under the current circumstances.
“We expect the government to meet our demands and avoid further industrial disharmony,” Dr Luqman added.
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