Members of the Ogun State chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association have suspended their ongoing strike action for four weeks to give room for a peaceful dialogue with the state government.
This decision was reached at the end of the emergency general meeting of the association which considered the hardship faced by the public while the warning strike was in force across state government facilities.
With this development, members of the association have been asked to resume duties at 8:00am on Monday, September 2, 2024.
Members of the association in the state are actively pursuing wage parity between Ogun State healthcare institutions and their federal counterparts, as well as advocating for the overall welfare of its members.
The association has been on strike for 25 days, a situation which has affected medical services at the state-owned healthcare facilities.
Addressing a press conference at the state secretariat of the association in Abeokuta, the state capital, on Friday, the chairman of association, Dr Ogunjimi Luqman, said the emergency general meeting was convened on Tuesday, 27th August, 2024 where deliberations were made on the industrial disharmony in the State
“The congress went on recess and reconvened on Thursday 29th August, 2024. The purpose of the meeting was to assess the situation, review the strike’s progress, present a comprehensive report to congress on engagements with the Ogun State government, and make a decision on the strike action,” he said.
According to him, the association went on strike due to the Ogun State government’s alleged failure to implement the reviewed CONMESS wage, which federal counterparts began receiving in June 2023.
“Despite Nigerian Medical Association executives’ efforts, the issue remains unresolved, the Congress reviewed the strike’s effectiveness and members’ compliance. The Congress acknowledges the hardship caused to the people of Ogun State due to the government’s failure to respond to doctors’ demands.”
They, however, urged the state government to meet the association’s demands during this 4-week suspension to avert further industrial disharmony.
The association is expected to reconvene on 30th September, 2024 to review the situation, and industrial harmony cannot be guaranteed if demands remain unmet.
