Ngige Drags Doctors To Industrial Court Over Strike

Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige has dragged the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) to the National Industrial Court of Nigeria for adjudication.

Gatekeepers News reports that a copy of the summons was sent to NARD and the Federal Ministry of Health.

The minister had earlier given the NARD leadership till the end of work last Wednesday to convene a virtual meeting of its National Executive Committee to brief its members on the efforts of the government with a view to calling off its strike.

A ministry source who confided in THISDAY, said that part of the instrument issued on August 11, 2021 by the minister read, “Whereas trade dispute has arisen and now exists between the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) and the Federal Ministry of Health/Federal Government and whereas efforts to promote settlement through conciliation were on-going but had now failed.

“And considering the facts that members of NARD who are classified as Essential Services workers/employees had embarked on strike on Monday, August 2, 2021 over the issues under conciliation, contrary to the provisions of Section 18 of the Trade Disputes Act CAP T8, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN) 2004, after attending a Conciliation and Agreement Review meeting on July 22, 2021 and further considering that the Federal Ministry of Health claim to have and produced evidence to having met most of their demands based on the various Memorandum of Action reached during past conciliations especially that of July 22, 2021.

“Now therefore, I, Senator Dr. Chris Nwabueze Ngige OON, MD the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment in exercise of the powers conferred on me by Section 17 of the Trades Disputes Act , CAP T8 laws of the Federation of Nigeria, hereby refer the matter for consideration, and the issues in dispute to the National Industrial Court of Nigeria for adjudication.”