Lagos Urges Doctors to Cancel Strike as Salary Dispute Escalates

The Lagos State Government has appealed to the Medical Guild to suspend its planned three-day warning strike, set to begin today, over renewed salary disputes and unpaid allowances.

In a statement released Sunday by the Ministry of Health’s Director of Public Affairs, Tunbosun Ogunbanwo, the state government acknowledged the doctors’ grievances and said talks were ongoing to resolve the matter. It stressed that both parties have been meeting through a conciliation committee and reviewing submitted documents in line with current policies and financial limits.

The government urged the doctors to remain on the path of dialogue, noting that over 20 million Lagosians depend on uninterrupted medical services. It assured the public that emergency plans were being implemented to reduce the impact of the strike on healthcare delivery.

The strike was announced by the Medical Guild, the association representing state-employed doctors, during a press conference on Saturday. The guild said it resorted to industrial action after repeated efforts to resolve the issue amicably failed.

Chairman of the guild, Dr. Japhet Olugbogi, revealed that the dispute began in April when the state government made unilateral deductions from doctors’ salaries. Although those deductions were later reversed after negotiations, he said the government repeated the action in July — this time without any explanation or prior notice.

Among the key demands of the doctors are the immediate reversal of the latest salary deductions and full payment of 12 months’ arrears under the revised Consolidated Medical Salary Structure. This includes outstanding entitlements owed to honorary consultants at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital.

The state government reiterated its commitment to ensuring the welfare and motivation of healthcare workers, while urging the guild to consider the interests of patients and the general public.