The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Tuesday in Abuja declared full support for the indefinite strike embarked upon by the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) over the Federal Government’s delay in implementing their salary agreement. In a statement signed by its President, Mr. Joe Ajaero, the NLC said the action had become inevitable because the government had failed to honour the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) it signed with the health unions on 29 Oct. 2024.
The Congress stated that health workers had waited for years for the government to implement the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS), which it pledged but has yet to actualise. It said the continuing delay had caused widespread frustration across the sector and warned that the NLC may mobilise all Nigerian workers in solidarity with JOHESU if the situation persists.
Mr. Ajaero noted that the Federal Government had implemented the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) for medical doctors in 2014, yet continued to delay CONHESS for other health professionals. He said this imbalance, alongside repeated breaches of agreements — including an MoU signed on 30 Sept. 2017 — reflected a pattern of unfulfilled commitments by the government.
The NLC also recalled that a previous administration had promised to secure approval for CONHESS within five weeks, but seven years after that undertaking, no progress had been made.
“The patience of Nigerian health workers has been stretched thin,” the NLC said, urging the Federal Government to respect collective bargaining agreements. It warned that failure to address the flagship CONHESS demand promptly could trigger nationwide solidarity action.
