ABUTH resident doctors begin strike over non-payment of salaries

The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH) in Zaria, Kaduna State, has commenced a five-day warning strike over the non-payment of salaries owed some members.

The NARD Vice President, Dr Ashiru Mikail, made this known at a press conference in Zaria on Monday, July 22, 2024.

Mikail said the resident doctors, on July 15, gave the management of the hospital a one-week ultimatum to address their demands or face a warning strike.

He stated that the ultimatum expired on Sunday, July 21, hence the commencement of the warning strike.

He added that the association would reconvene to review its strategy after the warning strike with a view to determining the next line of action.

Mikail said the resident doctors rejected percentage salary payments on the GIFMIS platform and demanded repayment of parts of their withheld salaries.

According to him, in June, the salaries of affected members were slashed by about 25 to 27 per cent, representing N58,000 to N60,000.

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He explained that the doctors who were paid in percentage in June were owed salary arrears of 2021.

Mikail said: “In spite of the harsh economic challenges in the country, no reasonable reasons for the deductions were advanced to the association by the management.

“The management proposed to pay N2 million to offset the arrears of accoutrement allowance per month from the overhead cost.

“This amount can only pay N5,000 per member monthly as against the N100,000 owed each member.

“More than 60 per cent of the Federal Tertiary Health institutions in the North-West zone have commenced payments of the arrears of accoutrement allowance but ABUTH has not, but rather proposed to pay N5,000 instead of N25,000.”

The NARD Vice President added that the association demands the implementation of the 25 per cent CONMESS upward review to the salaries of members who were on GIFMIS platform, among other demands.

The Star