Following a conciliation process with the Nigerian Government, the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) has suspended its nationwide strike to allow for the implementation of agreed reforms on salaries and working conditions in the public health sector.
The decision was reached after a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting convened in a hybrid format at the Medical and Health Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) National Secretariat in Abuja.
JOHESU said the expanded NEC unanimously voted to suspend the ongoing indefinite strike after reviewing the terms of settlement reached at the conciliation meeting with the Federal Government.
The NEC meeting drew top officials of JOHESU’s affiliate unions, the Medical and Health Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP), Senior Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes and Associated Institutions (SSAUTHRIAI), and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), as well as union veterans, state chapter chairpersons and secretaries, representatives of federal and non-hospital-based health institutions, and leaders of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
During the session, NEC members reviewed the outcome of the conciliation meeting held on February 5 at the Ministry of Labour and Employment, which formed the basis for suspending the industrial action.
Under the agreement, JOHESU and the Federal Government resolved to undertake a comprehensive review of all gaps and failures in salary implementation between 2009 and 2026.
Implementation of the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) adjustment is to commence immediately under JOHESU’s supervision, with budgetary provisions for the adjustments to be captured in the 2026 Appropriation Act.
The Federal Government also agreed to withdraw the “No Work, No Pay” directive and to pay the January 2026 salaries of JOHESU members.
The NEC warned that failure by the government to fully implement the terms of the settlement would compel the TUC and NLC to pursue all lawful industrial actions to address outstanding issues affecting JOHESU members.
It further assured union members that no health worker who participated in the strike would face sanctions, intimidation or victimisation as a result of their involvement in the industrial action.
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