The Joint Health Sector Unions has initiated nationwide mobilization for health personnel across Nigeria in preparation for a potential industrial action. This move comes in response to the Federal Government's failure to enact the adjustment of the Consolidated Health Salary Structure, known as CONHESS, a critical labour demand that has remained unsettled for approximately 13 years.
According to resolutions from an emergency expanded virtual National Executive Council meeting held on Thursday, October 29, 2026, the coalition of medical personnel declared that it would no longer tolerate further foot-dragging on the matter. The session brought together federal and state organs as well as affiliate bodies to chart a unified path forward.
What led to the current mobilization?
The brewing industrial crisis stems from over a decade of administrative delays regarding the upward review of health workers' remuneration outside the medical doctor cadre. JOHESU leadership pointed out that President Bola Tinubu had previously assured the union of actualizing the salary adjustment on June 5, 2023, while urging them to suspend an active strike at the onset of his administration.
During the same period, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare transmitted the 2021 High Level Body Technical Committee Report on the CONHESS adjustment to the Budget Office of the Federation, which houses the secretariat of the Presidential Committee on Salaries. However, JOHESU expressed frustration that administrative bottlenecks tied to the inability of the Presidential Committee on Salaries to convene have stalled the final implementation.
What does the union demand?
In a joint statement issued by National Chairman Comrade Kabiru Minjibir and National Secretary Comrade Martin Egbanubi, the coalition stressed that resolving the long-standing grievance is non-negotiable. The leadership warned against yielding to outside interference or excuses regarding committee delays, maintaining that health workers' welfare must be prioritized.
The union acknowledged the solidarity and intervention of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, characterizing the salary issue as one of the most protracted pending demands within the nation's organized labour landscape. Furthermore, JOHESU highlighted provisions under the Trade Unions Act, which empower registered worker bodies to negotiate remuneration and collective agreements for their members.
What are the next steps for health institutions?
Following the virtual council meeting, all affiliate groups have been directed to put their members on high alert and begin grassroots mobilization across teaching hospitals, medical centers, and research institutes nationwide.
JOHESU encompasses several prominent professional bodies, including the Medical and Health Workers’ Union of Nigeria, the Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals, the Senior Staff Association of Universities Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes and Associated Institutions, and the Non- Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, alongside the Assembly of Healthcare Professional Associations.
While bracing for potential confrontations if official channels fail to yield results, the union has advised its members to maintain calm and order while awaiting further instructions in alignment with timelines and ultimatums issued alongside broader organized labour groups.