The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Friday gave the Federal Ministry of Health a final 14-day deadline to implement the long-awaited Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) adjustments or face coordinated nationwide action, the unions said.
In a joint statement signed by TUC Secretary-General Nuhu Toro and NLC acting general secretary Benson Upah, organised labour said the technical committee report on CONHESS — submitted in 2021 — must be put into effect immediately.
“Health workers have waited long enough for over five years. The Ministry must act without further delay,” the unions said.
Labour accused the ministry of “deliberately refusing” to act and described the delay as “a conscious act of injustice, bad faith, and institutional disrespect” toward non-doctor health workers whose pay distortions the report addressed.
“This attitude amounts to a gross abuse of trust and a direct challenge to organised labour,” the unions added.
The ultimatum, effective from 23rd January, warns that failure to comply will compel organised labour to mobilise workers across public and private sectors.
Possible measures listed include mass protests, picketing of health institutions and government offices, and a nationwide withdrawal of services — steps that could bring major public hospitals to a standstill.
The demand comes amid an existing JOHESU-led strike that began in November 2025 and has already disrupted services in several teaching and federal hospitals, where laboratories, pharmacies and records units remain closed.
The unions urged the government to act within the 14-day window to avert widespread industrial action and further harm to patients.
