The chairman of a group of doctors in Lagos has disclosed that they (Medical Guild), have rejected the new minimum wage paid to workers by the Lagos state government, saying it was below the expectations of civil servants.
Dr Babajide Saheed, disclosed the doctors’ decision on Monday in Lagos.
The chairman of the group said that, not only was the new minimum wage unacceptable, that they were not part of the negotiations communicated to government, adding that it was still awaiting response.
Babajide said, “You cannot be talking about our salary when we are not there; and when workers started receiving their salaries over the weekend, they were disappointed and unhappy.
“Not only the doctors, generally all the civil servants because the increment was unimaginable and short of expectations.
“The problem we have identified is high taxation.
“No matter the amount of increment in the minimum wage, which makes the gross high, the take home after tax reductions is peanuts.
“Government should look at that issue and let workers have the benefits of the new minimum wage, and we hope that the state government will listen.”
He called for the exemption of tax on call duty paid to doctors, saying it would lighten the tax burden on members of the the group.
Also, Director, Public Affairs Department, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Tunbosun Ogunbanwo, when contacted declined responding to the guild’s rejection of the new minimum wage.
