Health workers under the Joint Health Sector Unions have suspended their nationwide strike, bringing an end to an industrial action that lasted 84 days and severely disrupted healthcare services across Nigeria.
The decision was reached at the end of an expanded emergency meeting of the union’s National Executive Council held in Abuja on Friday, following a conciliation meeting with the Federal Government at the headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.
In a communiqué issued after the meeting, the union said the strike was suspended to allow for the implementation of the agreed terms of settlement reached with the Federal Government.
The strike, which began on November 15, 2025, paralysed activities in government-owned hospitals nationwide, leaving patients stranded and forcing many Nigerians to seek medical care from private facilities or alternative sources.
The Joint Health Sector Unions represent health professionals working in pharmacies, medical laboratories, and other allied and support departments within public health institutions.
According to the union, discussions at the conciliation meeting focused on long-standing grievances, particularly the delayed adjustment of the Consolidated Health Salary Structure, based on the report of a Technical Committee submitted in 2021.
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As part of the resolutions, it was agreed that ongoing collective bargaining agreement negotiations would comprehensively address identified defects, gaps, and implementation failures between 2009 and 2026. The union added that unresolved issues relating to salary adjustments would form the foundation of the negotiations and would be handled exclusively by its members without delay.
The union also disclosed that budgetary provisions for the salary adjustment must be included in the 2026 Appropriation Act, using the existing template provided by the Federal Government’s Technical Committee established by the Ministry of Health in 2021.
Other agreements reached include the immediate withdrawal of the “no work, no pay” directive issued during the strike, as well as the prompt payment of January 2026 salaries to affected members. The union further insisted that no member who participated in the strike should face victimisation, sanctions, or intimidation.
Following deliberations, the expanded National Executive Council unanimously voted to suspend the indefinite strike to enable the full implementation of the settlement terms.
In its conclusion, the union expressed appreciation to prominent Nigerians, labour organisations, professional bodies, and traditional rulers who intervened to help resolve the dispute in the national interest. It also thanked Nigerians for their patience and understanding throughout the period of the strike.
The union noted that recurring injustice and a widening trust deficit between health workers and authorities contributed to the prolonged industrial action, expressing hope that governments at both federal and state levels would act responsibly to prevent a recurrence of such disruption in the future.