The National Association of Resident Doctors, Ahmadu Bello University Teachin Hospital (ABUTH) branch has commenced a five-day warning strike over owed salaries.

Dr. Ashiru Mikail, the branch association’s Vice President, revealed this during a news conference on Monday in Zaria, Kaduna State.

Mikail said on July 15, the association gave the management of the hospital a one-week ultimatum to address their demands.

He said the association would reconvene to review its strategy after the warning strike to determine the next line of action, adding that it rejects percentage salary payments for members on the GIFMIS platform, and demands repayment of parts of their withheld salaries.

Mikail said in June, salaries of affected members were slashed by about 25 to 27 percent, representing N58,000 to N60,000.

He also explained that the doctors who were paid in percentage in June were being owed salary arrears for 2021.

Mikail stated, “Despite the harsh economic challenges in the country, no reasonable reasons for the deductions were advanced to the association by the management.

“The management proposed to pay N2 million to offset the arrears of accoutrement allowance per month from the overhead cost.

“This amount can only be paid N5,000 per member monthly as against the N100,000 owed to each member.”

“More than 60 percent of the Federal Tertiary Health institutions in the North West zone have commenced payments of the arrears of accoutrement allowance but ABUTH has not, but rather proposed to pay N5,000 instead of N25,000,” he lamented.

He said the association demands the implementation of the 25 percent consolidated medical salary scale (CONMESS).