The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has urged the Federal Government to urgently resolve the lingering salary dispute with the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), warning that failure to revive negotiations could trigger another industrial crisis in the health sector.
The NLC made the call 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 frustration over the slow pace of efforts to resolve their demands, particularly the adjustment of the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS).
The NLC said it was concerned that agreements, memoranda of understanding and collective bargaining agreements reached between the government and health workers had yet to fully address the unions’ grievances.
“We are similarly concerned that years after signing MoUs, terms of agreement and CBAs (Collective Bargaining Agreements) in addition to promises and assurances from appropriate authorities, members of JOHESU have been ignored or abandoned,” Ajaero stated.
The labour centre called on the Labour Minister to ensure the immediate resumption of collective bargaining and engage the Presidential Committee on Salaries to address the outstanding issues.
“Honourable Minister, in light of the above, we strongly urge that you do all that is within your power to ensure immediate resumption of the collective agreement negotiation as well as nudge the Presidential Committee on Salaries to do the needful,” the NLC said.
NLC Backs JOHESU
The NLC warned that a complete breakdown in negotiations could have serious implications for healthcare delivery and industrial relations.
“It needs no telling that the consequences of a complete breakdown in negotiations are quite grave,” it said.
Although the congress said its intervention was not intended as a threat, it pledged to support JOHESU if the union was compelled to embark on another industrial action.
Ajaero said the NLC “will not hesitate to lend its support to the hilt” if JOHESU takes further action over the dispute.
The development comes months after JOHESU suspended an 84-day nationwide strike over the same CONHESS dispute.
The unions commenced the indefinite strike in November 2025 following the Federal Government’s failure to implement the adjusted CONHESS and resolve other longstanding welfare concerns.
The action was suspended in February 2026 to allow for the implementation of terms of settlement reached with the government.
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The dispute centres on JOHESU’s demand for an adjustment of CONHESS similar to salary reviews implemented under the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) for doctors.
JOHESU has maintained that its demand dates back more than a decade, with a 2021 technical committee report on the salary adjustment still awaiting full implementation.
In January 2026, the NLC and Trade Union Congress (TUC) also issued a 14-day ultimatum to the government over the failure to implement the adjusted CONHESS, threatening nationwide industrial action.
The Federal Government has said it remains committed to resolving the dispute, explaining that the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission is conducting a job evaluation exercise to determine the appropriate placement of health professionals.
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare said the exercise would provide a basis for discussions on salary adjustments and the reconvening of the collective bargaining process.
The latest NLC intervention has renewed pressure on the Federal Government to resolve the prolonged CONHESS dispute and prevent another strike that could disrupt healthcare services nationwide.
