Unions Threaten Nationwide Strike Over Delayed CONHESS Salary Review
Edino Chubiyo Cornelius 
ABUJA, Nigeria – Nigeria’s two largest labour centres issue a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Ministry of Health, demanding immediate implementation of the long-delayed CONHESS salary review or face nationwide industrial action.
In a joint statement on Saturday, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) accuse authorities of prolonged inaction on a 2021 technical committee report meant to correct salary imbalances affecting health workers.
“Health professionals have waited patiently for years,” says TUC Secretary-General Nuhu Toro. “This delay undermines fairness and demoralises a critical workforce.”
The unions contrast the stalled CONHESS review with the swift adjustment of the CONMESS salary structure for medical doctors, describing the disparity as discriminatory and unjust.
Acting NLC General Secretary Benson Upah warns that continued silence signals bad faith. “Excuses are no longer acceptable. Equity within the public service wage system must prevail,” he says.
Labour leaders reveal that repeated engagements with the ministry yield no concrete outcome, prompting preparations for coordinated protests, picketing and service withdrawal across federal and state health institutions.
All NLC and TUC affiliates nationwide now remain on mobilisation alert.
The unions urge the government to act swiftly, warning that failure to resolve the impasse risks crippling healthcare delivery and escalating industrial unrest.
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