The Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) has threatened to embark on another nationwide strike over the Federal Government’s failure to implement the adjustment of the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS).
National Chairman of JOHESU and President of the Medical and Health Workers’ Union of Nigeria, Kabiru Minjibir, disclosed this while speaking with journalists on the sidelines of the 114th International Labour Conference in Geneva, Switzerland.
Minjibir expressed concern that the salary adjustment, which had been a subject of agitation for over a decade, remained unresolved despite several engagements with the government.
According to him, a provision in the salary structures introduced in 2016 stipulates that whenever one salary structure is reviewed upward, the corresponding structure should also be adjusted.
He noted that while the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) for medical doctors had been reviewed three times, health workers under CONHESS had yet to benefit from a similar adjustment.
“Unfortunately, three reviews have been carried out on CONMESS, while other health workers have been neglected. This has remained a source of agitation over the last 10 years,” he said.
The union leader recalled that JOHESU embarked on an 84-day strike last year over the issue, leading to negotiations with the Federal Government.
He said the intervention of the Minister of Labour and Employment, alongside relevant ministries and agencies, culminated in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which provided that the salary adjustment would be implemented on or before the end of April 2026.
“It may interest you to know that, up till this moment, the issue has not been addressed. There is already agitation among health workers across the country that another ultimatum should be issued to the government,” Minjibir stated.
He, however, said the union was still consulting with its members before taking a final decision on industrial action.
Minjibir urged the Federal Government, particularly the Minister of Labour and Employment and the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, to ensure the timely conclusion of the negotiations.
He stressed that extending the adjustment to health workers was a matter of justice and fairness.
The JOHESU chairman warned that failure to improve the remuneration of health workers could adversely affect productivity in the sector.
“If health workers’ remuneration is not improved, the government should not expect productivity. We hope the issue will be addressed before it degenerates into another ultimatum or industrial action because patients are always at the receiving end whenever health workers go on strike,” he said.
Dismissing claims that non-medical health workers merely seek benefits secured by doctors, Minjibir maintained that every professional in the health sector deserved to be remunerated in line with their responsibilities.
“We are not competing with anybody. Doctors are our partners in the provision of healthcare services in the country,” he said.
He added that effective healthcare delivery required collaboration among all professionals.
“Healthcare service is teamwork. Nobody can work alone. Our agitation is not based on what others have achieved but on the principle of justice and fairness for all health workers,” Minjibir added.
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