Lagos State Will Not Pay Doctors For Strike Period

The Lagos State Government has faulted claims it was owing medical doctors in its employ, saying it has always paid the salaries of all its employees, doctors inclusive, when due. Some doctors working in the State Government’s hospitals staged a demonstration last week alleging that the government owed them an unspecified amount of money covering their salaries for July and August this year. However, the commissioner for information in Lagos, Lateef Ibirogba, the chairman, Health Service Commission, Dr. M.O. Salako and Chairman, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Dr. O. Williams, in a joint statement said the state government said it has promptly resumed payment of salaries of the Doctors since they resumed work. The trio said the complaint by the doctors refers to July and August 2014 during which period the affected doctors went on strike adding that their salaries were not paid in accordance with the Government’s policy of “No Work, No Pay”. They also said that the period of the doctors’ strike unfortunately coincided with the outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease in Lagos State pointing out that all entreaties to the striking doctors to see reasons and call off the strike were ignored. They reiterated that the state government’s policy of “No Work, No Pay” was still in force, pointed out that the policy was informed by the fact that it was unjustifiable for any worker to be paid for work not done maintaining that any group of its employees that embarked on strike in contravention of the laid-down procedures governing such actions would be so treated for the period of strike. Assuring all citizens of the administration’s commitment to its responsibilities of protecting life and property in the state at all times, they reiterated, “Government’s policy of “No work, No pay” remains in force meaning you cannot be paid for work not done.”