By Blessing Otobong-Gabriel
Joint Health Sector Unions, JOHESU, and the Assembly of Healthcare Professional Associations, AHPA, have declared an indefinite nationwide strike effective today (Saturday), November 15.
The unions cited the federal government’s persistent failure to implement the adjusted Consolidated Health Salary Structure, CONHESS, and resolve longstanding welfare and systemic issues affecting health workers as the reason for the strike.
The decision was announced in a statement signed by the National Chairman of JOHESU, Comrade Kabiru Minjibir, and made available to journalists yesterday.
The shutdown of JOHESU-affiliated unions came at a time when the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors, NARD, is already on indefinite strike over unpaid hazard allowance arrears, poor working conditions and failure to implement agreed welfare reforms.
The overlapping strikes by doctors and other health professionals are expected to cripple services in federal teaching hospitals, specialist centres and many state-owned hospitals.
JOHESU represents several key unions, including the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria, Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals, Senior Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes and Associated Institutions, and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions.
While JOHESU stressed that the delay in implementing the adjusted CONHESS remains the principal trigger, the unions said several unresolved issues informed the decision to shut down services.
“The crux of the matter in the present circumstance is the long delay in the implementation of the High-Level Body, HLB, Committee’s report on the adjusted Consolidated Health Salary Structure since its submission to the Presidential Committee on Salaries and Wages in 2022,” the statement read.
The unions accused successive administrations of failing to address the longstanding salary disparity among health workers.
“Nothing has been done by successive administrations to redress this infraction. Despite the well-advertised assurances of President Bola Tinubu when a two-man delegation of JOHESU visited him on June 5, 2023 to advance the federal government’s resolve to get JOHESU to suspend its strike, this demand remains unattended to,” the statement said.
JOHESU added that delays were initially blamed on the absence of the Presidential Committee on Salaries, PCS, which had not been reconstituted.
Even after its reconstitution, the unions said the matter was not given priority attention until the last 48 hours, when government appeared to take practical steps to address the prolonged delay, which JOHESU described as “one of the longest and most protracted demands in Nigeria’s labour history.”
Consequently, arising from an unanimous resolution during the Expanded National Executive Council hybrid meeting on November 14, members of JOHESU-affiliate unions across the federal health service are set to embark on indefinite strike action until the flagship demand for the implementation of the adjusted CONHESS is met.
The 36 states and the FCT may immediately serve their governments a 15-day notice in line with labour law provisions.
The unions recalled that they had earlier suspended strike actions in June 2023 and October 2024, following presidential intervention and the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, but government failed to implement the agreed-upon resolutions.
“Unfortunately, there has been no positive response from the federal government on some of these issues despite assurances during subsequent meetings with relevant Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, MDAs,” the statement highlighted.
JOHESU said it had exercised restraint and engaged in dialogue for years, but government’s inaction forced the decision.
“There is no doubt that we have exhibited maturity, selflessness and patriotism even in the face of extreme provocation and long delay by government, and we think that our maturity and patriotism have been taken for granted,” it added.
The unions called on their members nationwide to comply strictly with the strike directive and warned government against intimidation or sanctions.
“JOHESU will not accept victimisation of its members by government or any employer in public health institutions across the country on account of this strike action, which is a dispute of right. We shall therefore keep all our channels of communication open during this period,” the statement concluded.
