The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) have issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Ministry of Health over the prolonged delay in implementing the reviewed Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS).
The unions said the ultimatum followed the government’s failure to act on the report of the Technical Committee on CONHESS adjustment, which was submitted in 2021.
In a joint statement released on Saturday in Abuja, and signed by TUC Secretary General, Nuhu Toro, and NLC Acting General Secretary, Benson Upah, the labour centres demanded the immediate implementation of the committee’s recommendations.
According to the unions, the committee, chaired by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, was constituted to address salary distortions within the health sector.
“Health workers have waited long enough for over five years. The Ministry must act without further delay,” the statement read.
“Failure to implement the CONHESS report is a direct affront to organised labour and the hardworking health professionals who sustain the nation.”
The unions described the continued delay as a deliberate injustice against health workers, noting that it reflected bad faith and institutional disregard for organised labour.
They recalled that adjustments to the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) were implemented promptly, contrasting this with the prolonged neglect of CONHESS.
According to them, the selective implementation of salary structures exposes government insincerity and discrimination within the health sector.
The labour bodies also cited repeated engagements with the Ministry of Health, which they said had yielded no tangible response.
They warned that failure to comply with the ultimatum would result in nationwide industrial action.
“We have exercised restraint for years, but our patience has run out. The Ministry must act now,” the statement said.
“Should the government fail to implement the CONHESS report within the stipulated period, organised labour will mobilise all Nigerian workers for coordinated industrial action.”
They added that the planned action could include mass protests, picketing of health facilities and withdrawal of services nationwide.
“TUC and NLC therefore place all affiliates, including state councils and the FCT, on red alert for mobilisation,” the statement added, urging the government to avert an avoidable crisis by complying within the 14-day window.
