Union accuses Lagos govt of delaying health workers’ demands as strike drags on

By Chukwuma Umeorah

The Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU), Lagos State branch, has accused the state government of delaying long-standing demands of health workers, as the ongoing industrial action in public health facilities entered its third month with no resolution in sight.

JOHESU said the strike, which began on December 2, 2025, was driven by unresolved local issues and not merely in solidarity with the national action, faulting what it described as persistent misrepresentation of the dispute by the state government.

Speaking at a press conference in Lagos, yesterday, Chairman of JOHESU Lagos State, Adelaja Gbadamosi, represented by the union’s Secretary, Kabiawu Adegboyega Gbolahan, said the continued delay was a result of the government’s failure to take “concrete and binding decisions” on demands that date back several years.

According to the union, its demands include recognition and appropriate remuneration for consultant pharmacists, establishment of autonomous departments of medical laboratory services, provision of staff buses for health workers, implementation of revised call and shift duty allowances, and payment of retention allowances across all health professions.

Gbolahan said the strike was wrongly portrayed as a national action, leading to what he described as a lack of urgency by state authorities. He said: “We have clarified that we are not on strike because of a national directive. This strike is because of local demands that have been outstanding for years, some as far back as 2018.”

He added that issues such as the adjustment of national salary structures were not part of JOHESU Lagos State’s demands, stressing that the union’s action was strictly tied to matters within the control of the state government.

JOHESU also raised concerns about what it described as professional inequality within the Lagos health system, alleging that attempts to implement agreed reforms had been obstructed by vested interests. The union maintained that delays in recognising consultant pharmacists and granting autonomy to medical laboratory services were central to the prolonged dispute.

On engagement with government officials, the union said meetings held so far had not yielded results. He said the Ministries of Health and Establishment, as well as the Office of the Head of Service, were aware of the union’s position through repeated correspondence.

He said professional autonomy remained a major sticking point, adding that resistance to reforms within the health sector had contributed significantly to the deadlock.

JOHESU acknowledged the hardship faced by patients due to service disruptions but said the union had exhausted advocacy and dialogue before resorting to strike action. It called on the Lagos State Government to demonstrate commitment through time-bound actions, avoid victimisation of striking workers and implement previously agreed resolutions.

The union said it remained open to negotiations, adding that the strike would continue until meaningful steps were taken to address its demands, warning that unresolved equity issues could further weaken healthcare delivery in the state.