The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Ministry of Health, demanding immediate implementation of a long-delayed salary adjustment for health sector workers.
In a joint statement released on Saturday, the unions accused the government of “deliberate injustice” and “institutional disrespect” for failing to act on a report submitted in 2021 by a Technical Committee set up to address distortions in the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS).“The health workers have waited long enough for over five years. The Ministry must act without further delay,” the statement read.
It was jointly signed by the TUC Secretary General, Nuhu Toro, and the NLC Acting General Secretary, Benson Upah.The committee, chaired by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, was mandated to review and recommend adjustments to correct salary imbalances within the health sector.
The unions described the continued delay in implementing the report as “a direct affront to organised labour and the hardworking health professionals who sustain the nation,” adding that the situation reflects “bad faith” on the part of the authorities.They warned that failure to act within the 14-day window could trigger a major industrial action by health workers across the country.
