…Reject pay cut by LASG
By Chioma Obinna
Medical doctors under the employ of the Lagos State government on Saturday declared a three-day warning strike in protest against what they described as an “illegal and disrespectful” salary deduction by the Lagos State Government.
The medical doctors under the aegis of the Medical Guild said the warning strike is set to begin from 8:00 a.m. on Monday, July 28, 2025, to 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 31, 2025, if the government fails to meet their demands.
They said the decision to embark on the industrial action came after all avenues for dialogue and reconciliation were exhausted without positive results.
Addressing journalists during a press conference held at the Guild’s secretariat in Lagos, Chairman of the Medical Guild, Dr. Japhet Olugbogi, said the crisis stemmed from a unilateral salary deduction implemented by the state government in April 2025, which affected all medical and dental practitioners in its employ.
“The development came to us as a rude shock. Our members were visibly aggrieved and agitated. Although many clamoured for an immediate strike, the officers’ committee chose the path of civility, pursuing advocacy and diplomatic engagement with relevant government agencies,” Olugbogi stated.
According to him, the funds were eventually reversed following what he described as “spirited intervention and strategic engagement,” and a six-member conciliation committee was set up, comprising three representatives each from the government and the Guild.
“We presented all relevant documents clarifying the calculation of the CONMESS salary scale, and it was agreed that the status quo would be maintained while the government deliberated internally and returned with a final position,” Olugbogi said.
However, in what the Guild termed a breach of trust, the Lagos State Treasury Office in July again implemented a salary cut, prompting the Guild to declare a warning strike set to begin from 8:00 a.m. on Monday, July 28, 2025, to 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 31, 2025, if the government fails to meet their demands.
The Guild is demanding the immediate reversal of the July salary deductions. It is also calling for the full payment of the 12-month revised CONMESS arrears owed to honorary consultants at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH. In addition, the Guild resolved to issue a 21-day ultimatum to the state government after the warning strike, and if the demands remain unmet at the end of the ultimatum, an indefinite strike will commence.
Olugbogi criticised the government for its actions, especially at a time of economic hardship and mass emigration of health professionals, popularly referred to as the japa syndrome.
“Let it be known that the most senior doctor in Lagos State employment does not earn up to $1,100.
“And yet, the government, in its wisdom, feels that reducing this meagre income is the best way to motivate the health workforce.”
He called on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to urgently intervene and prevent a total collapse of the state’s healthcare system.
“We are by this medium calling on our compassionate Governor to kindly intervene to ensure the reversal of the illegally deducted funds,” he said.
Over 385 doctors attended the emergency congress where the strike decision was ratified.
Also, the Guild’s Secretary, Dr. Adekunle Akinade, affirmed the union’s readiness to escalate action if their grievances are not addressed.
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