Health Workers Threaten Strike Over Unpaid 7-Month Salary Arrears

The Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP) is calling on the federal government to immediately pay the seven months of unpaid salary arrears tied to the 2024 salary increase.

This was stated in a communique released on Tuesday after a national executive council (NEC) meeting held in Jos, Plateau State, in collaboration with the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU).

The document was signed by NUAHP’s national president, Kamal Ibrahim, and general secretary, Martin Egbanubi.

The NUAHP represents a wide range of health professionals, including pharmacists, physiotherapists, medical lab scientists, radiographers, dental technologists, occupational therapists, dietitians, and others working in similar fields.

The union expressed frustration over the delay in implementing the agreed 25% and 35% pay rise under the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS).

They noted that arrears from June to December 2023 still haven’t been paid, even though the funds were included in both the 2024 and 2025 budgets.

The unions warned that failure to settle the arrears soon could lead to another nationwide strike.

“The NEC-in-session was particularly worried about the seven months’ arrears (June 2023 to December 2023) of the 25 percent and 35 percent CONHESS in spite of being captured in the 2024 budget and now in the 2025 budget,.

“NEC describes the delay in the payment as unacceptable and considers it a violation of item five of the FG-JOHESU Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 29th October 2024 and the resolution reached on 20th December 2024, respectively.

“NEC therefore demands for the payment of these arrears without further delay to avert industrial action,” the communique reads

The NUAHP reminded the federal government that the October 2024 agreement was what led to the suspension of their last strike and that the government is yet to keep its promises.

The unions urged President Bola Tinubu to intervene by instructing the relevant ministries and agencies to resolve the issue quickly to maintain peace in the health sector.

“NEC calls on President Bola Tinubu to honour his promise to JOHESU by directing relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and other organs of the federal government to expeditiously deal with this matter for sustainable industrial harmony and in the public interest,” the unions said.

In addition, the union asked for tax relief on clinical allowances such as call duty, shift duty, and teaching allowances to help health workers cope with the high cost of living.

They also called for the payment of retention allowances to encourage professionals to remain in Nigeria rather than seek better opportunities abroad.

KanyiDaily recalls that during the strike, Air Peace had to suspend all flights nationwide due to the lack of QNH weather reports, which are critical for safe landings.