Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has strongly condemned Federal Government’s move to halt the pay of striking members of the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) under the no work, no pay policy, declaring it provocative and unlawful and warning of nationwide labour action if the situation is not reversed.
Gatekeepers News reports that in a statement released on Wednesday in Abuja and signed by TUC President Festus Osifo and Secretary-General Nuhu Toro, the Congress described the circular issued by Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, which uses the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) to stop the salaries of striking JOHESU members effective January 2026, as reckless, authoritarian, and confrontational. The union said this directive is not genuine policy but a deliberate attempt to intimidate workers and weaken collective bargaining.
According to TUC, enforcing the “no work, no pay” rule while negotiations are actively ongoing is a gross abuse of power and a violation of established industrial relations principles, undermining dialogue between organised labour and the government.
The Congress emphasised that health workers, who have been protesting over issues including delayed implementation of the adjusted Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS), are already operating under extremely difficult conditions and should not be penalised amid rising inflation and fuel price increases.
Osifo stated that the use of IPPIS to deny salary amounts to an abuse of state machinery and warned that TUC will not accept negotiations being conducted while punitive measures are applied against workers.
The Congress demanded the immediate withdrawal of the circular, the unconditional restoration of all withheld salaries, and a return to the negotiation table within seven days to avert escalating tensions.
To show its seriousness, the TUC has placed all its affiliates, the thirty-six state councils and the FCT council on red alert, ready to mobilise workers across various sectors if the government fails to comply within the stipulated timeframe.
The union warned that any disruption of services or nationwide action that follows will be the responsibility of the Ministry of Health for choosing confrontation over dialogue.
This standoff occurs as JOHESU’s strike, now deep into its 62nd day, continues nationwide as members insist on pressing demands for improved pay structures and welfare conditions despite the government’s threats of salary suspension.
