… Faults NAMDA, NMA claims; insists parity already exists in salary structure
By Chioma Obinna
The Joint Health Sector Unions, JOHESU, has backed the joint ultimatum issued by the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and the Trade Union Congress, TUC, to the Federal Ministry of Health, warning that continued delay in addressing long-standing pay disparities in the health sector could further destabilize service delivery.
In a press statement made available to Vanguard, JOHESU criticised objections by the National Association of Medical and Dental Academics, NAMDA, describing them as misplaced and unsupported by facts, while urging the Federal Government to urgently correct what it called years of structural and monetary imbalance affecting non-physician health professionals.
JOHESU Chairman, Comrade Kabiru Ado Minjibir, said labour centres acted within their legal mandate in taking a position on the health sector crisis without seeking clearance from any single professional group.
“The labour centres are empowered by law to act in the collective interest of workers. There is no provision requiring them to obtain consent from any affiliate union before intervening in matters of national importance,” Minjibir said.
He emphasised that JOHESU’s demand is not for preferential treatment but for the enforcement of existing agreements and established public service rules.
“Parity is already built into the system through clear entry points, grading, and career progression. What we are asking for is the correction of distortions that have persisted despite this structure,” he added.
National Secretary of JOHESU, Comrade Martin Egbanubi, explained that a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, signed by the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, in 2014 cannot legally bind unions that were not party to it.
“The Trade Union Act is explicit: a union can only negotiate conditions of service for its own members. An MoU signed by one association cannot override a duly negotiated Collective Bargaining Agreement signed by another,” Egbanubi said.
He noted that JOHESU’s 2009 CBA with the Federal Government recognises parity as the benchmark for salary and allowance adjustments, and argued that this agreement remains valid and enforceable.
On career structure, JOHESU pointed out that medical officers enter the federal public service on Grade Level 13, while other health professionals enter at lower levels. This, the union said, already establishes relativity in favour of physicians.
“It takes other health professionals between 10 and 16 years to reach Grade Level 13. Yet, even at that point, additional ratios introduced in 2025 still place them at a disadvantage,” Egbanubi said.
The union also dismissed public claims of imbalance between CONMESS and the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS), stating that available figures show CONMESS to be substantially higher in both structure and take-home pay.
“A director under CONHESS earns roughly what a CONMESS 4 officer earns after about six years in service. These are verifiable facts, not opinions,” Minjibir said.
JOHESU further revealed that discussions on resolving the dispute had reached an advanced stage in December 2025, including correspondence with the Budget Office on implementation modalities.
“To suggest now that the matter is unresolved is misleading. The record is clear,” the statement said.
As the JOHESU strike continues, the union urged the Federal Government to act swiftly, beginning with the adjustment of CONHESS as a first step toward restoring industrial harmony.
“We call on the Federal Government to confront this issue transparently and fairly. Nigerians deserve to see the facts, the figures, and the agreements as they truly are,” Minjibir said.
JOHESU reaffirmed its readiness to engage constructively with the government and other stakeholders, warning, however, that years of unresolved injustice in the health work environment can no longer be ignored.
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