The ultimatum was announced on Friday in a joint statement signed by the Secretary General of the TUC, Comrade General N.A. Toro, and the Acting General Secretary of the NLC, Comrade Benson Upah.
Nigeria’s two foremost labour unions, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), have issued a 14-day ultimatum to implement the long-pending review of the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS), warning of nationwide industrial action if the demand is ignored.
The ultimatum was announced on Friday in a joint statement 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 Nigerian Government of deliberately failing to act on the report of the Technical Committee on CONHESS, which was submitted in 2021 under the chairmanship of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission.
According to the labour unions, the continued delay has gone beyond administrative oversight and now reflects what they described as bad faith and institutional disregard for health workers and organised labour.
They expressed concern that, despite the passage of nearly five years since the committee’s report was submitted, health workers remain subjected to hardship and inequitable treatment due to the government’s inaction.
The unions also criticised what they termed the selective application of salary policies within the health sector.
They noted that while the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) was adjusted and implemented with effect from January 2014, the corresponding adjustment for CONHESS has been repeatedly stalled.
“This uneven treatment within the same sector raises serious questions about the government’s commitment to equity, fairness, and industrial harmony,” the statement said.
TUC and NLC further stated that several attempts at dialogue and sustained restraint by labour leaders, aimed at preserving industrial peace, have yielded no tangible outcome.
Instead, they accused the Federal Ministry of Health of responding with excuses and silence.
Describing the situation as an abuse of trust, the unions announced what they called a final and irreversible 14-day ultimatum, effective from January 23, 2026.
They demanded the immediate implementation of the 2021 Technical Committee report on CONHESS, in line with established practices in the health sector.
They warned that failure to meet the deadline would leave organised labour with no option but to commence coordinated nationwide industrial action.
Such action, they said, would include 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 accept what they described as empty assurances, bureaucratic delays, or the continued marginalisation of health workers.
They added that the Federal Ministry of Health would be held fully accountable for any disruption arising from its failure to act.
As a result, all TUC and NLC affiliates, including state councils across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, have been placed on alert and instructed to begin mobilisation.
The unions urged the Nigerian government to take urgent steps within the ultimatum period to prevent what they described as an avoidable nationwide shutdown.