The nationwide strike by members of the National Doctors Association (NDA) is in breach of employment contracts.
Department of Personal Management Secretary John Kali urged the doctors to return to work as the threats of withdrawal of labour contained in the NDA petition is in breach of their contracts.
Kali has lodged a formal complaint with the Industrial Registrar that the threats are in breach of contracts, in breach of the Industrial Award and the law.
He reminded NDA members that they are individually contracted to the State as employer and that they have a duty by virtue of their contract to provide medical care to the public at all times.
Kali also reminded the NDA executives that the NDA is bound by the current agreement with the State.
“Industrial action and stop work will be a last resort to deal with industrial matters following declaration of a dispute.
“I appeal to the medical officers to abide by their employment contracts and to continue to deliver health care and life saving services to their patients," Kali said in a joint media conference with Health Secretary Pascoe Kase today.
Kali has written an appealed to the NDA president and executives to present their legitimate industrial concerns and claims to his Office to be dealt with lawfully.
Kase urged doctors and health workers to go back to work and leave political matters to the Parliament and the Court.