Lagos — Lagos State Government has warned medical doctors on its employment to refrain from embarking on any strike saying, it will take legal actions on any medical officer who observes the intended strike.

Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, who addressed journalists on Friday ahead of the expiration of the 21-day ultimatum given by the Medical Guild of Lagos State to indefinitely down tools from next Monday said the doctors' action is illegal.

Government, he said, has viewed the proposed strike as a weapon of distraction by some politicians who want to destabilise the government of the state by all means.

According to Idris, government has met on several occasions with the doctors and discussed all the issues raised, which included improved welfare package, improved working environment and implementation of the Consolidated Tertiary Institution Salary Scale, saying "these are being currently addressed by the state government but are also issues that cannot be addressed overnight."

The commissioner pointed out that the state government has been quite responsive and open to dialogue with "the factionalised doctors" over their grievances but warned that the administration would not succumb to any blackmail "which is what the proposed strike action represents."

However, Ibrahim Olaifa chairman of the Medical Guild told Saturday Independent that no amount of threat or warning from government can stop the proposed strike "unless government meets with all our demands before the expiration of the ultimatum on Monday January 5."

Olaifa told our correspondent, "Medical practice in Lagos is under poor condition and unfair environment and employment in Lagos has become unattractive.

"If you compare us with our counterparts in other federal institutions, which are paying better, you will understand our plight," Olaifa explained.

He said: "For example government is owing 15 months CORTIS, which they have refused to pay in spite of the various promises and even the commissioner at the last meeting with the Guild told us the 2009 budget does not capture payment of 15 months arrears so what are they talking about? They have been deceiving us," he emphasised.