Health workers under the Joint Health Sector Unions have warned of a possible fresh industrial action over the Federal Government’s continued delay in implementing the adjustment of the Consolidated Health Salary Structure.
The warning was issued by the National Chairman of JOHESU and President of the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria, Kabiru Minjibir, during an interview with journalists at the 114th International Labour Conference held in Geneva, Switzerland.
Minjibir said the salary dispute has lingered for over a decade despite repeated negotiations with government officials, describing it as a long-standing source of frustration among health workers.
He explained that the issue dates back to provisions in the 2016 salary frameworks introduced for health professionals.
According to him, “When the two salary structures were released in 2016, there was a clause that once one salary structure is reviewed upward, it automatically attracts a review of the other one.”
However, he noted that while the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure for doctors has been reviewed multiple times, the corresponding adjustment for other health workers under CONHESS has been ignored.
Minjibir said, “Unfortunately, three reviews were done to CONMESS, which is for medical doctors, while other health workers were neglected.”
He added that this imbalance has fueled repeated agitation and industrial unrest in the sector.
“This has been the source of agitation over the last 10 years, and the issue remains unresolved up to this moment,” he said.
The JOHESU leader recalled that the union previously embarked on an 84-day strike following an unresolved dispute, after which the Federal Government engaged them in negotiations involving the Ministry of Labour and Employment and the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission.
He said a Memorandum of Understanding was reached, with a commitment that the salary adjustment would be concluded by April 2026, but that promise has yet to be fulfilled.
Minjibir stated: “It may interest you to know that up to this moment, that issue has not been addressed.”
He warned that dissatisfaction among members is growing, with renewed calls for another ultimatum to be issued to the government.
Despite the tensions, he said the union is still consulting before taking final action.
He urged the Federal Government, particularly the Ministries of Labour and Health, to urgently resolve the matter in the interest of fairness and stability in the health sector.
Minjibir also cautioned that poor remuneration could negatively affect service delivery in hospitals across the country.
He said: “If health workers’ remuneration is not improved, the government should not expect productivity.”
However, he stressed that JOHESU’s agitation is not aimed at rivalry with doctors but at achieving equity across all cadres in the health sector.
“We are not competing with anybody. Doctors are our partners in the provision of healthcare services in the country,” he said.
He added that healthcare delivery depends on teamwork among all professionals, insisting that fair treatment remains central to their demands.
