By FESTUS AHON
UGHELLI- Doctors under the aegis of the Delta State chapters of the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria, MDCAN, and the National Association of Government General Medical and Dental Practitioners of Nigeria, NAGGMDP, Wednesday suspended their 10-day old strike.

The suspension of the strike may not be unconnected with the hard position of the government. The Government had sacked doctors, whose appointments were yet to be confirmed in the wake of the strike action.

A source told Vanguard that government may not go back on the affected doctors, adding that it was wrong for them to join in the strike, when they were still on probation.

The doctors had gone on strike in protest over the directive that they should sign a daily register.

The groups in a statement,  gave the state branch of Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, till next month, to persuade the  government to accede to their demands.

According to the doctors, the industrial action was to protest against what they described as “obnoxious tax burden since May 2011, and the non-remittance of over four years of contributory pensions deduction.”

According to the aggrieved health workers, the “non response” of the state government to the issues raised by the aggrieved doctors resulted in a 10-day strike ultimatum.

The statement by the state chairmen of NMA, MDCAN and NAGGMDP, Dr Chuks Ossai Abaninwa, Dr Vincent Ofonye and Dr Ebiarede Oshonwoh respectively, said the strike action had been suspended to allow for negotiation by the NMA.

“Our parent association, the NMA,  Delta State branch in an attempt to mediate over the alluded issues,  advised the joint body to suspend the strike to enable it continue with the discussion it had already entered into with the state government,” the groups said.