Published by Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Barely four months after suspending an 84‑day nationwide strike, the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) and the Assembly of Healthcare Professionals have warned of a renewed industrial action if the Federal Government fails to implement agreed salary adjustments by the end of June. The threat has already triggered a three‑day warning strike in Lagos State, leaving patients stranded at public hospitals and deepening concerns over the fragility of Nigeria’s healthcare system.
The latest crisis stems from a longstanding dispute over the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS), which health workers argue has remained stagnant since 2009 while doctors under the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) have enjoyed multiple reviews. JOHESU chairman for Cross River chapter, Dr Bassey Icha, told newsmen in February that “JOHESU was not demanding parity with doctors’ salaries but was seeking a fair review based on government salary templates.” The union had suspended its 84‑day strike on February 6 after the government promised to include provisions for salary adjustment in the 2026 Appropriation Act and to commence negotiations on a Collective Bargaining Agreement. However, the government was given until April to deliver on those promises. With the April deadline passed and no visible progress, JOHESU declared that failure to achieve positive outcomes would force the union back to industrial action.
In Lagos, the coalition of health sector unions began a three‑day warning strike on Monday, June 8, over the non‑implementation of the CONHESS adjustments. The unions include the Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP) and other affiliates. At the Gbagada General Hospital, patients were turned away from the general out‑patient department as workers stayed away. A patient who gave her name only as Funmi told New Telegraph that she had travelled from Ikorodu to access care, only to find the hospital gates locked. “This is the only hospital I can afford. If they shut down completely, I don’t know where I will go,” she said. The Lagos warning strike is scheduled to last three days, but union leaders have indicated that a full‑blown nationwide strike will follow if the Federal Government does not act before the end of the month.
The unresolved salary dispute is only one part of a broader crisis. The Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP) has also demanded the immediate payment of outstanding salary arrears, warning that failure to comply would compel its members to join the strike. In a related development, the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) in Oyo State has joined a seven‑day warning strike over similar grievances. The cumulative effect is that patients across several states are already experiencing reduced access to care, while the threat of a nationwide shutdown looms.
The Federal Government has acknowledged the concerns. In January, the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare noted that the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) had commenced a job evaluation exercise to determine the appropriate placement of all health professionals, paving the way for discussions on salary adjustments. The ministry also said that recent reforms had increased professional allowances for health workers by nearly ₦90 billion annually, covering call duty, shift duty, rural posting and non‑clinical duty allowances. However, union leaders argue that these allowances do not address the fundamental issue of the outdated CONHESS pay scales, which have left many allied health professionals earning far less than their counterparts in other West African countries.
The stakes are high. During the 84‑day strike that ended in February, the Federal Government reportedly lost close to N1 trillion in revenue, and healthcare delivery was severely affected, with increased maternal and infant mortality recorded across the country. A return to industrial action would likely overwhelm an already fragile system, divert patients to underfunded private facilities and exacerbate the emigration of health workers, a phenomenon popularly known as “Japa.”
For now, the Lagos warning strike continues, and the clock is ticking on the government’s June deadline. JOHESU has made it clear that it will not hesitate to call out its members nationwide if the CONHESS adjustments are not implemented. As patients in Gbagada and other communities look for alternative care, the question is not whether another strike will happen, but when.
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