The Association of Resident Doctors at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Oyo State, have declared an indefinite strike.
In a memo titled, “Notice of Industrial Action,” addressed to the Chief Medical Director of the Hospital, Prof Olawale Olakulehin, and dated March 6, 2025, the doctor stated that the ARD congress unanimously decided to proceed on the industrial action from March 7, 2025, till its demands are met.
The demands of the doctors include “the non-payment of the minimum wage despite implementing it for other health workers in the state, a significant shortfall in the February salary in breach of the agreement that was reached during the management meeting with the unions, deduction of insurance indemnity without the association’s approval, neglect of repair of dilapidated call rooms despite appeals, gross manpower shortage across all departments.”
Other demands include the non-implementation of accoutrements allowance, delay in payment of upgrade-arrears for members owed, delayed payment of examination and update course refunds, and non-payment of Medical Residency Training Fund.
The notice, signed by the ARD President, Dr Stephen Adedokun, and the General Secretary, Dr Adedapo Mustapha, expressed dissatisfaction over the failure to meet the demands.
“Owing to the issues mentioned, the congress unanimously decided to proceed on total indefinite industrial action from midnight 7th of March, 2025 till our demands are met,” the memo partly read.
Speaking with newsmen on Saturday, Adedokun said the doctors had written Governor Seyi Makinde several times but nothing was done regarding their demands.
“We have met with the commissioners of health and establishment on several occasions. All the unions of doctors met and signed the minimum wage bill in January and it was implemented for others in February with arrears from January.
“While we were expecting the payment of minimum wage, we were greeted with a decrease in salary in February, and that is the reason for the outcry, amid the background of shortage of manpower and burnout among the workforce,” he said.
The PUNCH
