…Insist on Collective Bargaining Agreement
By Ifeanyichukwu Ibe
Medical Doctors in Imo State under the umbrella of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Imo State Chapter, yesterday, July 23, declared their support towards the NMA national leadership’s rejection of the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission (NSIWC) Circular on Review of Allowances for Medical/Dental Officers in the country.
Addressing a press conference at the State NMA Secretariat, Owerri, the Imo State NMA Chairman, Dr. Echeta Bartholomew Uzodimma, frowned that doctors are unjustly treated by the authorities, despite their sacrifices and critical contributions to the wellbeing of the citizens, urging the immediate withdrawal of the NSIWC Circular, and the implementation of previous agreements.
Flanked by State EXCO members, Dr. Uzodimma described the NSIWC Circular as counterproductive, obnoxious and unacceptable, insisting that such misleading action not only violated Collective Bargaining Agreement between the NMA and the federal government, but has aggravated the pre-existing tension amongst doctors who have chosen to stay back and serve the country.
He urged the government to take sincere and prompt actions in addressing NMA’s concerns, warning that inaction would attract adverse effects on healthcare delivery, including industrial action by doctors with the expiration of the 21-day ultimatum issued by the NMA for the federal government to rescind its action. He attributed Japa syndrome to unfavorable conditions of service for doctors.
Dr. Uzodimma, aligned the Imo NMA to the demands of the national NMA, including: the immediate withdrawal of the NSIWC Circular, immediate correction of consequential adjustments in line with 2001, 2009, and 2014 CBAs, immediate settlement of outstanding arrears of 25/35% Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS), clinical duty and accoutrement allowances owed to medical and dental officers.
Others are: universal application of CONMESS accross the tiers of government to combat internal brain drain, health insurance coverage for NMA members, excess workload and specialist allowances for doctors, implementation of subsisting CONMESS Circular of 2024 for house officers and scare skills allowances for medical consultants, compliance with CBA of 2021 on hazard allowance and the convocation of long overdue CBA negotiations on CONMESS.
The list also called for: the immediate reversal of the appointment of other healthcare professionals as consultants in hospitals to uphold standards and patient’s safety, enhanced health and social welfare packages for healthcare workers, implementation of reviewed retirement age for members and the constitution of Management Boards of federal hospitals according to Federal Tertiary Institutions Acts.
The NMA demands also included: the adoption of relativity in all professional allowances in accordance with the 2001 CBA, particularly regarding call duty allowances, payment of Medical Residency Training Funds (MRTF) for 2025 and review to reflect prevailing economic realities, the release of the Circular on Clinical Duty and other allowances for honorary consultants as agreed as well as the immediate correction of relativity between CONMESS and CONHESS in line with 2001 CBA.
In their contributions, the State Vice-Chairman, Dr. Ohiri John; the Secretary, Dr. Ibekwe Nnaemeka, the immediate past chairman and secretary respectively, Dr. Chidi Obiesi and Dr. Okeke Nnamdi attributed the ugly development to the erosion of relativity in the healthcare system, urging the government to comply with the NMA, and to ensure that members are captured in Exclusive List because of their patriotic services to the nation despite attractive offers abroad.
