The Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) has warned of a possible fresh strike after the Federal Government failed to implement the long‑awaited adjustment to the Consolidated Health Salary Structure.
National chairman Kabiru Minjibir, who spoke on the sidelines of the 114th International Labour Conference in Geneva, said the unpaid adjustment has been a sore point for health workers for more than a decade.
“When the two salary structures were released in 2016, there was a clause that once one salary structure is reviewed upward, it automatically attracts a review of the other one,” he said.
He noted that while doctors’ pay (CONMESS) has been reviewed three times, other health workers under CONHESS have been left out. “Unfortunately, three reviews were done to CONMESS, which is for medical doctors, while other health workers were neglected.
“This has been the source of agitation over the last 10 years, and the issue remains unresolved up to this moment,” he said.
Minjibir recalled last year’s action and talks with government. “When we gave an ultimatum to the Federal Government last year, there was an 84-day strike action that affected federal health institutions across the country.
“Following that action, we were invited to a meeting by the Minister of Labour and Employment alongside relevant ministries and agencies, including the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission,” he said.
A Memorandum of Understanding promised implementation on or before April 2026, but “It may interest you to know that up to this moment, that issue has not been addressed.
“There is already agitation among health workers across the country that another ultimatum should be issued to the government,” he said.
The union is still consulting before any move. “I want to use this opportunity to call on the Federal Government, particularly the Minister of Labour and Employment and the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, to ensure the timely conclusion of this negotiation.
“The same adjustment should be extended to other health workers in the interest of justice and fairness,” he said.
Minjibir warned of falling productivity if pay is not fixed. “If health workers’ remuneration is not improved, the government should not expect productivity.
“We hope the government will address the issue before it gets to the point of another ultimatum or industrial action because patients are always at the receiving end whenever health workers go on strike,” he said.
He rejected claims non‑medical staff only want doctors’ gains. “This is not true because there is a job specification in the health sector, and every professional should be remunerated based on his or her responsibilities.
“We are not competing with anybody. Doctors are our partners in the provision of healthcare services in the country,” he said.
“Health service is teamwork. Nobody can do his or her work alone.
“Our agitation is not based on what others have achieved but on the principle of justice and fairness for all health workers,” he said.
NAN
