NLC Warns of Fresh Health Sector Strike Over Salary Dispute

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has warned that the lingering salary dispute between the Federal Government and the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) could trigger another industrial crisis in the health sector if negotiations are not urgently revived.

The NLC made the warning in a letter dated August 6, 2026, addressed to the Minister of Labour and Employment and signed by its President, Joe Ajaero.

The intervention followed a July 31 communication from JOHESU, in which the health unions expressed concern over the slow progress in resolving their demands, particularly the adjustment of the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS).

Ajaero said the labour centre was concerned that several agreements, memoranda of understanding and collective bargaining agreements reached between the government and health workers had not been fully implemented.

He urged the Minister of Labour and Employment to facilitate the immediate resumption of negotiations and engage the Presidential Committee on Salaries to address the outstanding issues.

The NLC warned that a breakdown in negotiations could have serious consequences for healthcare delivery and industrial relations across the country.

Although the labour centre said its intervention was not intended as a threat, it pledged full support for JOHESU should the union be forced to embark on another industrial action.

The dispute dates back several years and centres on demands by non-doctor health professionals for an adjustment of CONHESS comparable to salary reviews implemented under the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure for doctors.

JOHESU had embarked on an 84-day nationwide strike in November 2025 over the unresolved salary structure and other welfare concerns. The strike was suspended in February 2026 following government commitments to implement agreed terms.

The unions have maintained that their CONHESS demand has remained unresolved for more than a decade, despite a 2021 technical committee report recommending adjustments.

In January 2026, the NLC and Trade Union Congress issued a 14-day ultimatum to the government over the matter and threatened further industrial action.

The Federal Government has said it remains committed to resolving the dispute, noting that the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission was conducting a job evaluation exercise to determine appropriate salary placements.

With the latest warning from the NLC, pressure is mounting on the government to resolve the CONHESS dispute before it escalates into another nationwide health sector strike.