JOHESU Strike: TUC gives federal govt seven-day ultimatum to withdraw ‘no work, no pay’ order

The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to withdraw its ‘no work, no pay’ circular, which affects members of the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU).

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It warned that failure to do so would trigger nationwide resistance by organised labour.

In a press release sent to PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday, the union described the directive and the alleged stoppage of JOHESU members’ salaries through the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) as “reckless, authoritarian and confrontational.”

The statement was jointly signed by the TUC President, Festus Osifo, and the Secretary-General, Nuhu Toro.

Salary stoppage

The TUC said the circular, issued by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and signed by the Director of Hospital Services, Abisola Adegoke, amounted to a declaration of hostility against Nigerian workers, particularly health workers operating under what it described as “unbearable conditions.”

According to Congress, the enforcement of the policy while negotiations were ongoing was a gross abuse of power and a violation of established principles of industrial relations.

“You cannot negotiate with workers on one hand and unleash punishment with the other,” the TUC said, adding that the circular was an act of intimidation rather than policy.

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The labour centre also condemned the stoppage of salaries of striking health workers, describing it as “wicked, insensitive and provocative,” especially amid rising inflation, fuel price hikes and broader economic hardship.

Warning of nationwide action

The TUC warned against what it termed the “weaponisation” of IPPIS to punish workers, insisting that organised labour would resist any attempt to starve workers into submission.

It demanded the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of the circular, restoration of all affected salaries, and a return to negotiations within seven days.

Failure to meet these demands, the Congress said, would compel it to mobilise workers across sectors for “decisive collective action.”

“All affiliates of Congress, as well as the 36 state councils and the FCT council, are hereby placed on red alert and directed to remain on standby for further directives,” the statement said.

Backstory

The warning from the TUC follows a directive issued by the federal government on 8 January, ordering the immediate enforcement of the ‘no work, no pay’ policy against JOHESU members and other health workers participating in the ongoing nationwide strike.

The directive was contained in a circular issued by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, addressed to the chief medical directors and medical directors of federal health institutions.

The circular stated that the decision followed the continuation of the JOHESU strike, which began on 15 November 2025, and instructed hospital managements to apply the policy from January 2026.

The ministry also directed health institutions to sustain critical services, including accident and emergency care, labour wards and intensive care units, through lawful means, including the engagement of locum staff.

Despite the directive, JOHESU has maintained its industrial action, insisting that its demands must be addressed before members return to work.