Barring last-minute changes, the pay rise template designed for the Academic Staff Union of Universities will be adopted for medical doctors working under the employment of the Federal Government, The PUNCH can confirm.

The decision to adopt the ASUU pay profile follows the several demands by the doctors for better pay rise, among others.

Presently, doctors under the aegis of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors, an affiliate of the Nigerian Medical Association are currently on a warning strike.

The warning strike which commenced on Wednesday, last week, is expected to end today.

The PUNCH reports that the FG, in 2022, had presented a 23.5 % pay rise for lecturers outside the professorial cadre and a 35 % pay rise for junior professors and professors at bar.

Though ASUU is yet to accept the proposition or make any official stand as regards the percentage,

The union has repeatedly been at loggers with the Federal Government over review of salary structure.

However, in the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the FG and the NMA alongside its affiliates such as NARD, our correspondent sighted item eight which focused on the review of salaries.

The “National Salaries, Income & Wages Commission informed the

Meeting that the Commission has not received any agreement between the Federal Ministry of Health and the Nigerian Medical Association,” the MoU informed.

It added that, “A letter has been written to FMoH by NSIWC requesting them to provide the details of Agreement. The Permanent Secretary is to provide a response to the letter of NSIWC by Tuesday, May 23, 2023.

“FML&E corroborated that there was a report of the meeting sent to them by FMoH.

“NSIWC is to use the percentage used for ASUU and other university unions and will also include raise in allowances and relativity of the increase shall be maintained when other consolidated scales are considered. This will be presented to the Presidential Committee on Salaries in their next

Valedictory meeting for final action to enable NSIWC issue the relevant circular, 7 days after the PCS meeting,” the MoU noted.

The Minister of Labour, Employment and Productivity, Chris Ngige, is yet to respond to further inquiries by The PUNCH on the matter.

The National President of NARD, Emeka Orji, in an earlier interview with Sunday PUNCH, hinted that an emergency National Executive Council meeting has been summoned following the 48-hour response deadline given the NARD by the government. (Sunday PUNCH)

•ASUU President, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke and Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige