… Assures Fresh Talks on CONHESS
By Mercy Gadia Adi
The Federal Government on Friday dismissed allegations that it deliberately refused to implement the 2021 Technical Committee report on the adjustment of the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS), urging the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) to suspend their ongoing strike and return to negotiations.
The strike, which began on November 14, 2025, followed an ultimatum by JOHESU demanding that CONHESS be adjusted in the same manner as the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS). The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) had accused the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare of institutional disrespect to health workers and issued a 14-day ultimatum to the government.
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In a statement signed by the Director of Information and Public Relations, Alaba Balogun, the ministry said the allegations were “absolutely untrue, stressing that there was no discrimination against any category of health workers.”
“The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare reiterates and reaffirms its unwavering commitment to sustaining industrial harmony within Nigeria’s health sector,” the statement said.
“There is absolutely no truth in the allegations of deliberate refusal to implement the Technical Committee’s report.”
The ministry disclosed that since the commencement of the industrial action, the government had held several conciliatory meetings with JOHESU at both the Ministries of Health and Labour, despite the union’s move to seek intervention at the National Industrial Court.
A high-level meeting convened on January 15, 2026, the ministry said, produced a “tentative understanding” on a framework for resolving the dispute. At the meeting, JOHESU proposed the implementation of the 2021 report of the Technical Sub-Committee of the High-Level Body chaired by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC), and demanded the withdrawal of the “No Work, No Pay” policy.
Responding, the ministry appealed for the maintenance of the status quo pending the conclusion of an ongoing job evaluation exercise by the NSIWC, which began in November 2025 and is expected to last six months.
“The job evaluation will pave the way for discussions on salary adjustments and the reconvening of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, the ministry said, adding that conflicting agreements signed in the past by various unions informed the decision”.
On the contentious “No Work, No Pay” rule, the ministry stated that “if JOHESU calls off the strike in good faith, the matter would be handled administratively in its entirety.”
The ministry also said it had no objection to the continued involvement of the NLC and TUC in the dialogue and disclosed that further meetings were held on January 20 and 22 to conclude on earlier agreements, with a view to ending the strike.
“It is important to state that the demand for CONHESS adjustment has been longstanding for over a decade, with previous administrations unable to resolve it,” the statement noted. It added that JOHESU members recently benefited from an increase in professional allowances amounting to about ₦58bn in arrears from July 2024 and about ₦40bn annually.
Urging the union to suspend the strike, the ministry said the government remained “resolutely committed to achieving sustainable industrial peace,” while appreciating health workers who had remained on duty.
“We will continue all efforts to ensure that federal hospitals remain open,” the ministry said.