The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has firmly rejected a circular issued by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare ordering the enforcement of a “No Work, No Pay” policy and the suspension of salaries of members of the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) through the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), beginning January 2026.
The directive, signed by the ministry’s Director of Hospital Services, Dr Abisola Adegoke, instructed that salaries of affected health workers be stopped in response to the ongoing JOHESU strike, which began on November 15, 2025.
In a statement released on Wednesday, jointly signed by TUC President, Festus Osifo, and Secretary General, N.A. Toro, the congress condemned the move, describing it as unacceptable and detrimental to ongoing negotiations between the government and health sector unions.
According to the TUC, the ministry’s action violates established principles of industrial relations and amounts to a unilateral decision taken while dialogue was still in progress.
The congress warned that halting the salaries of JOHESU members would further aggravate the hardship faced by health workers, particularly in the face of rising inflation, fuel price hikes and prevailing economic pressures.
“The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria unequivocally and totally rejects the circular issued by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare on the so-called implementation of ‘No Work, No Pay’ and the stoppage of salaries of JOHESU members through IPPIS, effective January 2026,” the statement said.
The TUC described the directive as an abuse of power and a deliberate attempt to undermine negotiations, adding that it reflected a return to authoritarian labour practices incompatible with democratic governance.
“You cannot negotiate with workers on one hand and impose punishment on the other. This circular is not policy; it is intimidation, and Congress will not accept it,” the union stated.
The TUC further accused the ministry of using IPPIS as a tool to penalise workers, vowing to resist any attempt to force compliance through salary stoppages. It described the decision to withhold wages from health workers as “wicked, insensitive and provocative,” especially given the current economic challenges confronting Nigerian workers.
The congress demanded the immediate withdrawal of the circular, the restoration of all affected salaries and a return to the negotiation table within seven days. It warned that failure to reverse the decision within the stipulated period would compel it to mobilise workers across various sectors for collective action.
The TUC also placed its affiliates, state councils and the Federal Capital Territory council on alert, urging them to remain on standby for further directives.
It cautioned that any industrial unrest or disruption of services arising from the situation would rest solely on the leadership of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, accusing the ministry of choosing confrontation over dialogue.
