The National Industrial Court in Abuja on Wednesday ordered the members of the National Association of Resident Doctors to immediately end their industrial action which started on September 7 2020.Moving the ex parte application, the plaintiff’s lawyer, Mr Frank Tietie, urged the court to direct the resident doctors as providers of essential services key to the fundamental right to life of members of the groups and all Nigerians, to immediately cease their strike action and resume duties.
Tietie added that if allowed to continue, the strike action by the doctors would cause an irreparable damage to the ongoing negotiation between NARD and the Federal Government.
Ruling on the application, Justice Ibrahim Galadima upheld Tietie’s arguments and ordered NARD members to immediately end the strike action.
Justice Galadima ordered them to immediately resume their duties pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice already fixed for October 8 by another judge of the court, Justice Edith Agbakoba handling the substantive suit.
A copy of the enrolled order issued by Justice Galadima on Wednesday read in part, “Order is hereby granted against the 1st respondent/defendant (NARD) being an essential service provider of health in the country, to immediately cease its strike/industrial action and to resume their duties forthwith until the hearing and determination of the pending motion on notice which had already been fixed on October 8, 2020 by the substantive judge in this suit, the Hon. Justice Agbakoba”.
The application was assigned to Justice Galadima sitting as a vacation judge.
source: MedicalWorldNigeria
