Ondo doctors begin three-day warning strike over unpaid salaries

Resident doctors at the Ondo State University Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital (UNIMEDTHC), Akure, have begun a three-day warning strike over non-payment of four months salary arrears.

Speaking with journalists at a preliminary protest, their spokesperson, Taiwo Olagbe, said they will embark in an indefinite strike if the state government refuses to yield to their demand by Monday.

“Our situation has reached the crescendo that we have to ventilate our matter to the people of the state and well-meaning Nigerians who can talk to the power-that-be to come and do something before the whole situation escalates.”

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“We can’t be subjected to mental torture when it comes to issue of our salaries. As we are talking today being November 2, 2020, we are being owed four months’ salaries. We keep asking ourselves if this is how we are going to continue in this vicious circle?”

Addressing the protesting workers, Adesina Akintan, who spoke on behalf of the Chief Medical Director (CMD), said non-payment is due to lack of funds.

“I am not representing the government of Ondo State, but I will speak on behalf of the local management of UNIMEDTH. It is not a happy thing that salaries are not regular. We equally know that the challenge we face as a country, as a state and as a local management is paucity of funds,” he said.

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