By SUNTV Global News | January 23, 2026
Nigeria’s two leading labour unions, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), have issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government, demanding the immediate implementation of the long-overdue Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) review for health workers.
The ultimatum, which takes effect from January 23, 2026, was announced in a joint statement on Friday, signed by the Secretary General of the TUC, Comrade General N.A. Toro, and the Acting General Secretary of the NLC, Comrade Benson Upah.
The unions accused the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government of deliberately ignoring the report of the Technical Committee on CONHESS, which was submitted as far back as 2021 under the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission.
According to the labour centres, the prolonged delay has moved beyond bureaucratic lapses and now represents bad faith, institutional neglect, and a clear disregard for health workers and organised labour.
They expressed deep concern that nearly five years after the committee’s report was submitted, health workers continue to endure hardship, stagnated wages, and unequal treatment within the health sector.
The unions also condemned what they described as the selective implementation of salary policies, noting that while the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) was reviewed and implemented with effect from January 2014, the corresponding adjustment for CONHESS has remained stalled.
“This unequal treatment within the same sector raises serious questions about the government’s commitment to equity, fairness, and industrial harmony,” the statement said.
NLC and TUC disclosed that repeated efforts at dialogue and sustained restraint by labour leaders—aimed at maintaining industrial peace—have failed to yield results. Instead, they accused the Federal Ministry of Health of responding with silence, excuses, and inaction.
Describing the situation as an abuse of trust, the unions declared the ultimatum as final and non-negotiable, demanding the immediate implementation of the 2021 CONHESS Technical Committee report in line with established standards in the health sector.
They warned that failure to comply within the 14-day window would trigger coordinated nationwide industrial action, including mass protests, picketing of health facilities and government offices, and a total withdrawal of services across the country.
The labour unions stressed that they would no longer tolerate empty promises, bureaucratic delays, or the continued marginalisation of health workers, adding that the Federal Ministry of Health would be held fully responsible for any disruption arising from its failure to act.
Consequently, all NLC and TUC affiliates nationwide—across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory—have been placed on alert and directed to begin mobilisation.
The unions urged the Federal Government to act urgently within the ultimatum period to avert what they described as an avoidable nationwide shutdown of health services.
