UITH orders striking workers back to work or face ‘No Work No Pay’ sanctions

The management of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Kwara State has sharply criticized the members of the hospital’s chapter of the Association of Resident Doctors for negating the rules of industrial relations in their ongoing five days warning strike, which entered its second day on Thursday.
The management threatened prompt invocation of the “No Work No Pay” extant directives of the Federal Ministry of Health on the striking doctors if they failed to call off the strike.
According to the management after its emergency meeting following the commencement of the strike, the doctors in their letter: ARD/UITH /SEC/OUT/17/56, dated August 1, 2017, had premised the declaration of the strike on the decision reached at its emergency meeting of July 31, 2017, thereby depriving the management of adequate statutory period required in serving notices before the declaration of any form of industrial dispute.
The UITH management said the commencement of the strike on August 2, barely 24 hours after serving the notice, remained a malicious action and a deliberate step aimed at shunning duties.
The management, therefore, registered “its displeasure of the short notice of this current strike which gave no window of engagement and to remind the association of the ‘No Work No Pay’ directive of the Federal Ministry of Health.
“Management however remains open to negotiations aimed at stopping the present strike and preventing a recurrence of same.”
The local ARD through its Chairman, Dr. Kolawole Ige, had alleged as the strongest reason for the declaration of the strike the non payment of certain emoluments of members without tangible reasons by the management.
According to the Head of Corporate Affairs Unit of the hospital, Olufunmilayo Omojasola: “Management of UITH has always paid all resident doctors in its employment complete salaries as at when due except on a few occasions when funds were remitted late. Management did not renege on any promise as alleged as there was no reason for that.
“Management has continued to pay a palliative allowance as agreed on previous negotiations with the association concerning skipping allowances just as the management is open to discussion concerning payment of pension deductions to PFAs in line with extant rules and regulations.”
The hospital’s management while disclosing ongoing discussions with the union on entry level of House Officers, said it was committed to the implementation of adjustments “after a proper directive from Salary and Wages Commission”.
However investigations have showed that despite the ongoing industrial disharmony, normal activities remained unabated at the hospital as consultants have firmly taken over the duties of the striking doctors, attending directly to all the patients.