Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, has vowed not to meet with striking resident doctors again, saying he has many other things to do with his time.
The Minister made the vow when he appeared on Channels Television program, Politics Today at the weekend.
Ngige also vowed to invoke his powers against the doctors if they continued with the strike.
He said if the doctors did not resume by next week, he would invoke “no work, no pay rule”.
“Next week I’ll escalate this issue because reconciliation has failed”, the Minister said.
“I won’t meet them anymore because I have other things to do. I did two conciliation yesterday. Am I going to be wasting my time with them?
“I have other tools within the labour laws and I will do it. I invoked Section 43 of the labour laws this afternoon. I have communicated it to NARD.
‘’They will not receive money for the period they are on strike and it will never count as a period of pensionable position in their career.
“Even the International Labour Organisation supports it because they render essential services.
‘’They are not supposed to go on strike without notifying me 15 days before the day of strike.
“As we speak, I have not received any notification that is why I am invoking Section 43 of the Labour Act on withdrawal of services, right to strike and the right to protect the employer and their patients.
“Things will happen next week. Let them wait because they are taking government for a ride and it is wrong. They are playing with lives. “My children are medical doctors and I have warned them not to be part of this nonsense strike.”
Vanguard News Nigeria
