JUST IN: TUC, NLC Issue 14-Day Ultimatum to Health Ministry Over CONHESS Delay
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 delayed implementation of the report on the adjustment of the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS).
The unions said the ultimatum followed the government’s failure to implement the recommendations of the Technical Committee on CONHESS, which was submitted in 2021.
This was contained in a joint statement signed on Saturday in Abuja by the TUC Secretary General, Nuhu Toro, and the NLC Acting General Secretary, Benson Upah.
The unions demanded the immediate implementation of the committee’s report, noting that it was chaired by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission and was aimed at addressing salary distortions in the health sector.
“Health workers have waited long enough for over five years. The Ministry must act without further delay,” the unions said.
They described the continued delay as a deliberate act of injustice against health workers, adding that the failure to implement the report amounts to bad faith and institutional disrespect for organised labour.
“Failure to implement the CONHESS report is a direct affront to organised labour and the hard-working health professionals who sustain the nation,” the statement read.
The unions recalled that similar adjustments under the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) were implemented without delay, arguing that the selective application of salary adjustments exposes government insincerity and discrimination.
They also noted that several engagements and interventions with the Ministry of Health had yielded no positive response.
Warning of possible industrial action, the unions said failure to comply within the 14-day ultimatum would trigger nationwide mobilisation.
“We have exercised restraint for years, but our patience has run out. The Ministry must act now,” they said.
According to the unions, any industrial action could include mass protests, picketing of health institutions, and the withdrawal of services nationwide.
They stressed that health workers play a critical role in sustaining the country and cannot continue to be ignored, adding that bureaucratic excuses and unfulfilled promises would no longer be tolerated.
“TUC and NLC therefore place all affiliates, including state councils and the FCT, on red alert for mobilisation,” the unions said.
They urged the government to avert an avoidable industrial crisis by complying with the ultimatum within the stipulated period.
