Rivers Doctors Resume Strike

Barely 24 hours after the Rivers State Government, issued a statement claiming that it has resolved all outstanding contentious issues with the state branches of the Nigerian Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress in the state, the medical doctors under its employ strike today.

The doctors under the aegis of Nigeria Medical Association told P.M.NEWS this morning through its Public Relations Officer, Dr.Aluye Briggs, that after an exhaustive emergency meeting that ended in the early hours of this morning that “doctors in the Rivers State Service have resolved to continue the ongoing strike following government’s inability to meet their demands on full implementation of Consolidated Medical Salary Structure, CONMESS, and other welfare matters.”

Asked to react to the claim by the Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress, Chris Oruge and its Trade Union Congress counterpart, Chika Onuegbu, that the state government has resolved all contentious labour issues in the state Briggs said the doctors were not invited to the meeting and therefore did not reach any agreement with the state government.

A statement endorsed by the Acting Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Blessing Wikina, yesterday said an agreement reached would positively benefit workers in all sectors, including Teachers, Doctors, Medical Workers and Civil Servants as well.

The statement, quoted the State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Chris Oruge, as having told Government House Correspondents that “NLC and TUC in this joint statement on behalf of all industrial unions hereby confirm that all outstanding issues between Rivers State Government and the Labour Unions in Rivers State have been resolved”.

—Okafor Ofiebor/ Port Harcourt