The Zamfara State Government has directed the enforcement of the “No Work, No Pay” policy against striking nurses and midwives, as industrial action in the state’s health sector enters its second phase.
The directive was contained in a circular issued by the Zamfara State Hospital Services Management Board to all Medical Directors, Heads of Departments, and Managers of health facilities across the state. It ordered all hospitals to remain open and maintain daily attendance registers for every category of staff, with weekly reports to be forwarded to the Executive Secretary’s office for onward transmission to the government.
The circular, which described compliance as “strictly mandatory,” explained that the measure followed confirmation that members of the National Association of Nurses and Midwives in the state had commenced a six-day warning strike. The nurses are protesting what they describe as the government’s neglect of their demand for the implementation of the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS).
According to the state government, the action came despite ongoing engagements, including the constitution of a Joint Technical Team comprising officials of the state and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Zamfara Council. The team, it said, was mandated to review the grievances and draw up a roadmap for an upward review of health workers’ salaries.
But the union insists the government has shown preferential treatment in the sector. At a press briefing in Gusau, the Chairman of the association, Comrade Sani Shehu, said while the government approved the new Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) for doctors in June, it failed to implement the CONHESS structure for nurses and midwives.
He explained that the latest action was a continuation of a strike earlier declared on September 11, which was suspended after 24 hours to allow for government intervention. “We have resumed the remaining six days of the warning strike,” he said, adding that if their demands are not met, the union will proceed on an indefinite strike.
The development has heightened concerns among residents, particularly in rural areas, where state-owned general hospitals serve as the first point of healthcare delivery.