Key points
- The Nigeria Labour Congress has urged the Federal Government to urgently resolve the lingering salary dispute with the Joint Health Sector Unions.
- The NLC warned that failure to resume negotiations could trigger another industrial crisis in the health sector.
- The dispute centres on the adjustment of the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS).
- JOHESU suspended an 84-day nationwide strike in February 2026 after reaching terms of settlement with the government.
- The NLC says it will support JOHESU if the union is compelled to resume industrial action.
Main Story
The Nigeria Labour Congress has warned of a fresh industrial crisis in the health sector unless the Federal Government urgently resolves the lingering salary dispute with the Joint Health Sector Unions.
The NLC made the call in a letter dated August 6, 2026, addressed to the Minister of Labour and Employment and signed by its President, Joe Ajaero, following renewed concerns by JOHESU over delays in resolving its demands, particularly the adjustment of the Consolidated Health Salary Structure.
The labour centre said agreements, memoranda of understanding and collective bargaining agreements reached with the government over the years had failed to fully address the grievances of health workers. It urged the Labour Minister to immediately facilitate the resumption of negotiations and engage the Presidential Committee on Salaries to address the outstanding issues.
The Issues
At the centre of the dispute is JOHESU’s demand for an adjustment of CONHESS, which covers non-doctor health professionals, in line with salary reviews implemented under the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure for doctors. The union maintains that the demand has remained unresolved for more than a decade, despite a 2021 technical committee report on the proposed adjustment.
What’s Being Said
Ajaero said the NLC was concerned that JOHESU members had been “ignored or abandoned” despite previous agreements and assurances from government authorities. He warned that a breakdown in negotiations would have serious consequences for healthcare delivery and industrial relations.
The NLC president stressed that the intervention was not intended as a threat but said the Congress would “lend its support to the hilt” if JOHESU was compelled to take further industrial action.
What’s Next
The Federal Government is expected to re-engage JOHESU and other stakeholders to prevent the dispute from escalating. The government had previously said the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission was conducting a job evaluation exercise to determine the appropriate placement of health professionals, with the outcome expected to guide discussions on salary adjustments and the resumption of collective bargaining.
Bottom Line
The NLC’s intervention has renewed pressure on the Federal Government to settle the CONHESS dispute before it develops into another nationwide health sector strike, potentially disrupting healthcare services and worsening already strained industrial relations.
