The Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) has suspended its nationwide strike, bringing to an end an industrial action that shut down public health facilities across the country for nearly three months.
The suspension was announced in a communiqué issued on Friday after an expanded emergency meeting of JOHESU’s National Executive Council (NEC) in Abuja.
Union leaders evaluated the results of conciliation talks held with the Federal Government the previous day at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.
According to the communiqué jointly signed by JOHESU National Chairman Kabiru Ado‑Minjibir and National Secretary Martin Egbanubi, the NEC voted unanimously to suspend the indefinite nationwide strike to allow for the implementation of agreed terms of settlement between the union and the government.
JOHESU also directed all its members in federal and state health institutions to resume work immediately.
The strike began on November 15, 2025, after JOHESU withdrew services in protest against the government’s failure to implement adjustments to the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) and to address other longstanding welfare grievances affecting health workers.
The prolonged shutdown of medical services left many patients unable to access essential healthcare in government‑owned hospitals, forcing some to seek care in private facilities.
In the agreement reached at the conciliation meeting, the government committed to commencing collective bargaining negotiations with health workers and prioritising unresolved issues, including the CONHESS adjustment, with provisions made for inclusion in the 2026 national budget.
The federal government also agreed to withdraw the “No Work, No Pay” directive that had been applied during the strike, and to ensure that January 2026 salaries of JOHESU members would be paid.
JOHESU noted that the strike had significant humanitarian and economic effects, including increased maternal and infant mortality and reduced health services nationwide, and said previous efforts to resolve the dispute had involved multiple meetings with government officials.
It also acknowledged the role of labour groups and other stakeholders in supporting the negotiations.
