ABUJA: Nigeria’s organised labour movement is preparing for a possible nationwide industrial showdown as the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) have jointly threatened a coordinated strike action across the country.
The labour centres, acting in solidarity with the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), have given the Federal Government a 14-day ultimatum to address the grievances of health workers, warning that failure to do so would trigger mass industrial action capable of paralysing economic and social activities nationwide.
In a joint statement signed by the Secretary of the TUC, Comrade General Dr. NA Toro, and the Acting General Secretary of the NLC, Comrade Benson Upah, the unions accused the Federal Government of persistently and deliberately refusing to implement the report of the Technical Committee on the adjustment of the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS), submitted since 2021.
According to the unions, the prolonged delay has gone beyond an administrative lapse and now amounts to a conscious act of injustice, bad faith, and institutional disrespect to health workers and organized labour.
They condemned what they described as selective and discriminatory implementation of salary structures within the health sector, noting that while the government adjusted the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) with effect from January 2, 2014, it has consistently refused to implement similar adjustments for CONHESS.
“This selective justice exposes the insincerity of the government’s commitment to fairness, equity, and industrial harmony,” the statement read.
Consequently, the unions issued what they described as an “irrevocable fourteen-day ultimatum to the Federal Government, effective January 23, 2026, demanding the immediate implementation of the 2021 Technical Committee report on CONHESS in line with established precedents in the health sector.
They warned that failure to comply within the stipulated period would compel organised labour to mobilize workers across both public and private sectors for a total and coordinated industrial action.
The proposed action, according to the unions, will include mass protests, picketing of health institutions and government offices, as well as a nationwide withdrawal of services until the issue is decisively resolved.
The statement further accused the Federal Ministry of Health of arrogance and unresponsiveness, alleging that despite repeated engagements and restraint shown by labour leaders in the interest of industrial peace, the ministry has continued to offer excuses instead of concrete action.
“This attitude constitutes a gross abuse of trust and a direct challenge to organised labour,” the unions added.
