Activities at the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital Enugu were disrupted on Tuesday as workers under the umbrella of the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) and the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) commenced an indefinite strike over what they described as “obnoxious same-scale promotion” implemented during the hospital’s 2025 promotion exercise.

The protesting workers, who came out in large numbers, marched from the hospital’s Boulevard area to the main gate, chanting solidarity songs and carrying placards demanding immediate reversal of the promotion exercise which they said amounted to stagnation and demotion of staff.

The Industrial action followed the expiration of a 21-day ultimatum issued to the management of the hospital on April 27, 2026, during which the unions demanded the withdrawal of the controversial promotion policy.

Addressing the workers during the demonstration, the Enugu State Chairman of National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives(NANNM), represented by Comrade Innocent Ejike, assured the aggrieved staff of labour’s support, insisting that injustice against workers would not be allowed to stand.

“As far as we’re concerned, what is wrong will never stand. If they’re working against you, they’re working against all of us and we’ll never allow that to stand,” he said.

He urged the workers to remain united and disciplined throughout the struggle, stressing that division among workers would weaken their cause.

“There’s no way somebody will go through the rudiments and process of promotion exams and you still keep him in the same position. That is another name for stagnation,” he added.

Also speaking, one of the labour leaders, Comrade Chukwuemeka Edwin, said the unions were at the hospital to demonstrate solidarity with their members, recalling a similar experience at the National Orthopaedic Hospital Enugu in 2011.

According to him, workers in the orthopaedic hospital resisted attempts to deny them “skipping” during promotions under the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS), warning that labour would resist any attempt to revive the policy at FNHE.

“What they did to us then was that people moving from CONHESS 10 to 11 were promoted to the same CONHESS 10, while those moving from 11 to 12 were retained on the same level of 11. We resisted it completely.

“After 15 years of that dark era, we are now seeing the same thing being implemented at the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital Enugu. It will never happen,” he declared.

Edwin described the implementation of same-scale promotion as “illegal,” insisting that healthcare promotion remained a “no-go area.”

“The only thing that should call you back from this strike is the withdrawal of that letter,” he told the protesting workers.

The Chairman of the National Union of Allied Health Workers and Professionals in the hospital, Asogwa Benjamin, said the unions resorted to strike action after exhausting all avenues for dialogue with management.

“After the 21-day ultimatum, we still gave a grace period of two days. So, we are constrained to take up this last option,” he stated.

Similarly, Acting Chairman of NANNM in the hospital, Comrade Ajiri Okezie, insisted that the workers were only demanding their legitimate rights.

“Promotion is not a privilege but a right. We consulted widely before taking this action. Until you hear from us, don’t come to work,” he said.

The Acting Chairman of JOHESU and Senior Staff Association leader, Cletus Nwankwo, also threw his weight behind the strike, describing the workers’ action as justified.

In the April 27 ultimatum jointly signed by leaders of JOHESU affiliates and NANNM in the hospital, the unions accused the management of subjecting workers to “same-scale promotion” during the 2025 exercise.

The unions stated that the exercise was “not promotion but rather stagnation/demotion,” warning that they could no longer guarantee industrial harmony if the decision was not reversed.

The workers anchored part of their demands on a 2017 circular issued by the Federal Ministry of Health following a memorandum of terms of settlement reached with JOHESU after a nationwide strike.

In the October 3, 2017 document signed on behalf of the Minister by Dr. W. D. Balami, Head of Department of Hospital Services, the ministry expressly directed federal health institutions that “there should be no same-scale promotion in accordance with the Public Service Rule.”

The document also directed hospitals to pay arrears of “skipping” and other allowances owed to health workers.

Union leaders at the protest argued that the current promotion exercise at FNHE violated the 2017 agreement and contravened established public service rules guiding promotions in the health sector.

As of the time of filing this report, the management of the hospital had yet to officially respond to the allegations and the ongoing strike action. (The Nation)