The leadership of the National Association of Government General Medical And Dental Practitioners (NAGGMDP), Ondo State Branch, has directed its members to begin indefinite strike by midnight of Wednesday June 23, 2020.
According to a communiqué issue and signed by the Secretary of the association, Dr Tunde Olasakinju, the strike action has become necessary after the government has failed to provide Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and also making some illegal deductions from their income.
The declaration of the strike action was followed by the expiration of a 14-day ultimatum.
Olasakinju,“The State Government has deliberately failed to conclude negotiations on the erstwhile suspended minimum wage and consequential adjustments already enjoyed by the non-medical staff since January 2020. To our dismay and utter disappointment, as high as 2.5 per cent of our members’ meagre consolidated basic salaries were deducted in May. That the Special COVID-19 hazard and risk allowance approved for our members should have commenced from May which was to serve as a morale booster to our members working assiduously to fight against the spread of the deadly virus, has not been paid. And that our highly spirited and dedicated members have not been captured in the implementation of the previously negotiated and Federal Government – approved skipping for doctors”.
The communiqué pointed out that the insufficient provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to the medics treating Coronavirus patients has resulted into the high numbers of doctors that are COVID-19 positive saying that six doctors are already infected with the virus.
