Doctors insist on strike despite Industrial Court order

 

The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) says its members will continue with their strike despite an order of The National Industrial Court, Abuja, to suspend the action.

Justice John Targema made the order on Monday while delivering his ruling on an ex parte application brought before the court by the Federal Government.

The court stated that the application was granted after carefully considering the processes filed by the applicants.

“Having looked especially at the affidavit of extreme urgency, the grounds of the application, the affidavit in support of the same and arguments of counsel for the applicant, I also weighed the submissions and arguments of counsel on the law as it stands on this application, it is hereby ordered that the claimant/applicant and the defendant/respondent suspend all forms of hostilities forthwith pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice,” Justice Targema had ruled.

He, accordingly, adjourned to September 15, 2021 for hearing of the motion on notice and/or any other pending application.

But NARD, in its reaction, said it would not suspend the industrial action which it began on August 2, 2021.

READ: Resident doctors begin indefinite strike Monday

The Federal Ministry of Health and the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Labour and Employment, had filed an ex parte motion praying the court for an interlocutory injunction restraining the members of NARD in all the states of the federation from continuing with the strike action.

In the affidavit supporting its application, the Federal Government had argued that the matter at stake bordered on life and death, and was an urgent one, which needed the court’s intervention.

It stated that the strike, which had lasted three weeks, had caused untold suffering to the people and accounted for the death of persons who could not access the medical services provided by the respondents.

NARD, however, had earlier stated that the strike action was as a result of the government’s failure to meet its demands as contained in the Memorandum of Action endorsed by both parties in 2014.

The association’s National President, Uyilawa Okhuaihesuyi, spoke shortly after the Industrial Court’s order, saying the association had not received any order and would therefore not suspend the industrial action.

“We have not received any order; we only saw the news on social media. We will not be resuming work,” he said.