The Joint Health Sector Unions and Assembly of Health Care Professionals, widely known as JOHESU, has made it clear that its indefinite national strike will continue regardless of the Federal Government’s decision to trigger the “no work, no pay” policy. This firm stance was communicated in a memo issued on Tuesday in Abuja by the union’s National Secretary, Mr. Martin Egbanubi, following an emergency virtual meeting held by the national leadership to assess the current state of the industrial action.
The standoff intensified after the Federal Government directed the Accountant-General of the Federation to halt salary payments for striking members. The Ministry of Health has already instructed Chief Medical Directors and Managing Directors of federal hospitals to strictly enforce this directive. However, JOHESU leadership has dismissed the move, describing the policy as a predictable pressure tactic often used by the government to avoid addressing the core issues in labor disputes.
At the heart of this crisis is a long-standing demand for the implementation of the adjusted Consolidated Health Salary Structure, alongside several other welfare-related grievances. The union maintains that the strike is a lawful “dispute of right” and insists that all legal procedures outlined in the Trade Disputes Act were followed before the walkout began. From their perspective, the industrial action is a necessary response to the government’s delay in fulfilling its end of previous agreements.
Despite the threat of losing their income, the union is calling for unwavering solidarity among its members. The memo urged healthcare workers not to be intimidated by the stoppage of salaries, emphasizing that the struggle for better working conditions requires collective resilience. To keep the momentum going, the union plans to step up its monitoring and picketing activities across the country, while also increasing its media engagement to keep the public informed of its position.
As the strike persists, the impact on the nation’s healthcare delivery system continues to grow. JOHESU remains resolute, stating that it will explore every available strategy to ensure its demands are met. For now, the ball appears to be back in the government’s court to find a middle ground that can bring health workers back to their duty posts and restore normalcy to federal medical facilities.
