Doctors go on strike on June 1 over IPPIS hassles

Doctors in the employ of the Federal Capital Territory have threatened to go on strike by June 1, if irregularities in the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information platform are not sorted by May 31. The workers affected include residents, consultants and other healthworkers across agencies, departments and 14 district hospitals in the FCT. The healthworkers […]

Doctors in the employ of the Federal Capital Territory have threatened to go on strike by June 1, if irregularities in the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information platform are not sorted by May 31.

The workers affected include residents, consultants and other healthworkers across agencies, departments and 14 district hospitals in the FCT.

The healthworkers say four months since the FCT administration migrated onto the IPPIS platfrom, the system has been fraught with problems: some staff were not paid, others were underpaid, there have been discrepancies in tax deductions, “outrageous” increase in tax deductions, late payment of salaries and failure to remit third-party deductions like union dues, capitations and cooperative deductions.

“These issues were made known to management prior to the migration into the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System,” the associations said in a communique after the associations of resident doctors, consultants and Joint Unions Action Committee met in Abuja.

“IPPIS payment platform commenced services since 2007 and we expect that all these teething problems should have been corrected by now but it is obvious that the platform is even worse with FCTA in comparison with other [ministries, departments and agencies].”

The associations had previously met with the FCTA management, with the permanent secretary Chinyaaka Ohaa admitted the management had knowledge of the lingering IPPIS issue and noting efforts were in place to sort them.

The healthworkers want the irregularities sorted by May 31, without which they will go on industrial action by June 1.

“This timeline is being given due to the appeal by the Permanent Secretary and the promise of quick and final resolution of the contentious issues. Which are one, payment of actual/correct salary as at when due  and, two, implementation of third-party deductions as well as dues/capitations, levies and cooperative contributions.”

The communique was signed by Imuetinyan Igbinovia for the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria, Matilukuro Oluwakorede for the Joint Unions Action Committee, Roland Aigbovo for the Association of Resident Doctors and Stephen Knabayi for the Nigerian Union of Teachers.