The National Industrial Court in Abuja has ordered the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) to suspend its ongoing strike.
The order was given on Monday by Justice John Targema in his ruling on an ex parte application by the Federal Government.
“It is hereby ordered that claimant/applicant and the defendant/respondent suspend all forms of hostilities forthwith pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice,” Justice Targema ruled.
“Having looked especially on the affidavit of extreme urgency, the grounds of the application, the affidavit in support of same and arguments of counsel for the applicant. I also weighed the submissions and arguments of counsel on the law as it stands on this application,” he explained.
He adjourned the substantive suit to September 15, 2021, while ruling that a hearing notice should be issued and served on the defendant.
The resident doctors embarked on an indefinite strike on August 2, at the expiration of an ultimatum they gave to the government to address issues affecting their conditions of service.
On Saturday, there was a report that had reached an agreement, but the doctors declined to sign the Memorandum of Understanding, saying they did not trust the government. They had wanted the government to first withdraw the action instituted against them at the Industrial Court.
The doctors feared that the government would invoke the principle of no-work-no pay against them.
However, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, has clarified that the ruling of the National Industrial Court will not affect the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, reached between the Federal Government and stakeholders in the health sector.
