Anambra State has agreed with health unions to stick to a four-week deadline for resolving welfare demands.
The government assured progress, while union leaders urged concrete implementation and sustainable salary adjustments.
The Anambra State Government and leaders of health sector unions have reached an understanding to maintain a four-week deadline for resolving outstanding welfare issues. This decision followed a high-level meeting held at the Ministry of Health in Awka.
The session was presided over by the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Afam Obidike, and had in attendance the Commissioner for Information, Dr. Law Mefor, Permanent Secretary Pharm. Uchebo Obiageli, alongside representatives of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Medical and Health Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), and the National Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP).
Speaking at the meeting, Dr. Obidike expressed concern that union leaders were threatening industrial action even after an earlier six-week negotiation window was agreed with the Secretary to the State Government. He explained that within two weeks, the administration had already met nearly half of the unions’ requests. These, he said, included Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s approval for the engagement of 200 midwives on contract to strengthen primary healthcare facilities.
Union representatives, however, maintained that government commitments must be backed by practical steps. MHWUN Chairman, Comrade Franklyn Mbaneme, acknowledged that progress had been made but urged the state to demonstrate implementation on the ground. NANNM’s Comrade Ikedi Onah emphasized the need to improve the state’s Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS), which, according to him, remains below what is obtainable in neighboring Enugu State.
The TUC Chairman advised that the unions’ requests should be seen strictly as collective bargaining, not as confrontations with the government. Similarly, NLC Chairman, Comrade Humphrey Nwafor, appealed for patience, reminding members that there were still four weeks left within the earlier six-week period. In his contribution, the Commissioner for Information, Dr. Mefor, recommended a phased implementation of CONHESS to ensure the policy is sustainable in the long term.
At the end of deliberations, both sides resolved that:
- The six-week negotiation window remains valid, leaving four weeks for the process to be completed.
- The unions’ salary proposals must be broken down and reflected in the state budget to determine feasibility.
- A follow-up meeting will take place in four weeks to review progress before submitting final recommendations to Governor Soludo.
The meeting ended with the Permanent Secretary thanking union leaders for their cooperation and commitment to dialogue.
