Organised labour, led by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), has issued a final 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government, warning of a total nationwide shutdown if the long-standing health workers’ pay crisis remains unresolved. This escalation follows the government’s failure to implement adjusted salary structures and its controversial decision to enforce a “No Work, No Pay” policy against striking workers.
Deepening Crisis and Government Inaction
The crisis centres on the government’s refusal to implement the 2021 Technical Committee report on the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) for non-physician health workers. While adjustments for doctors (CONMESS) were implemented as far back as 2014, non-doctor cadres have faced over a decade of “discriminatory application of policy”.
The Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) and the Assembly of Healthcare Professional Associations (AHPA) have been on strike since November 15, 2025. Rather than addressing these grievances, the Federal Ministry of Health issued a circular on January 8, 2026, directing the stoppage of salaries for striking members effective this month.
Unions’ Key Demands
Immediate Implementation of CONHESS: Full adoption of the adjusted salary structure as recommended by the 2021 Technical Committee.
Withdrawal of “No Work, No Pay” Directive: The unions demand the immediate reversal of the January 8 circular and the restoration of withheld salaries.
Payment of Arrears: Settlement of outstanding hazard and rural allowances, as well as promotion arrears dating back to 2023.
Professional Parity: Proper placement for health professionals with six-year training periods (e.g., Pharmacists, Physiotherapists) at Grade Level 12.
Threat of Total Shutdown
The 14-day ultimatum, effective from January 23, 2026, places all labour affiliates on “red alert”. If the deadline expires without a resolution, the unions have pledged to:
Withdraw Services: A total nationwide withdrawal of labour across both public and private sectors.
Mass Protests: Nationwide demonstrations and the picketing of health institutions and government offices.
Legal Mobilisation: Escalation of industrial action in the Federal Capital Territory, with workers directed to occupy the National Industrial Court on January 26, 2026.
“The ministry has continued to offer excuses instead of action,” the unions stated in a joint communiqué. “This attitude is a gross abuse of trust and a direct challenge to organised labour. We will no longer accept empty assurances”.
The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has also resumed its own nationwide strike as of January 12, 2026, further crippling a healthcare system already struggling with underfunding and mass emigration of professionals.
