Borno Resident Doctors Threaten Strike
Issue 21-day ultimatum to government
Resident doctors in Borno State on Monday threatened to embark on strike over non-implementation of Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) by the state government.
The doctors gave a 21-day ultimatum with effect from Monday, 8th January, through their association Borno State Resident Medical Doctors Association to the state government to pay up or face industrial action. Addressing a press conference, the state Chairman of the association, Dr. Bukar Abbagana, said the association rose from its emergency general congress held on 4th January 2018 and resolved to issue a 21 days ultimatum to the state government to implement the “Revised CONMESS, SKIPPING and RELATIVITY” allowances and to also pay all the arrears from 2014 when the said CONMESS implementation started nationwide.
He explained that at the time resident medical doctors across the country were going on strike on the subject matter, Borno State resident medical doctors out of loyalty to the state government and empathy for the people of Borno State refused to down tools with the believe that the governor will show the same understanding to the Borno State medical doctors but to no avail.
The chairman, who led state executives and other members of the association to the press conference, lamented that there was not even an acknowledgement from the state government four years down the line from the pile of correspondences sent to it on the matter, lamenting that all avenues for dialogue with the state governor were exhausted without commensurate response.
Abbagana said consequently, upon this, the association has no option than to issue an ultimatum from Monday, 8th January 2018 for the state government to address the above subject matter with arrears from 2014.
He however warned that failing to respond to the ultimatum given by the association, the congress may be compelled to embark on indefinite strike action as it cannot guaranty industrial harmony over the issue.
He said the congress was fully aware and mindful of the grave consequences such industrial disharmony will have on the good people of Borno State.
He however appealed to good public spirited individuals and the general populace to impress on the state government to do the needful to avert such industrial disharmony.
He also said that there are a total of 150 medical doctors on the payroll of the Borno State Government who are affected by the non implementation of the “CONMESS, Skipping and Relativity” allowances.