Health workers threaten legal action against SSANU, NASU over allowance dispute

Health workers in Nigeria’s federal tertiary institutions have threatened to sue the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) over their alleged exclusion from the implementation of the Consolidated Tertiary Institutions Allowance (CONTTA).

The threat was issued by the Coalition of Healthcare Professionals in Tertiary Education Institutions of Nigeria, which described the exclusion as discriminatory and called on the Federal Government to intervene.

In a statement signed by its National Chairman, Musa Shehu, the coalition alleged that health workers in federal university medical centres were excluded from the recently implemented CONTTA agreement between the Federal Government and SSANU/NASU, despite being dues-paying members of the unions.

The coalition claimed that while the allowance and six months’ arrears had been paid to other non-academic staff in federal universities, workers on the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) and the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) were left out.

It accused SSANU and NASU executives, alongside bursars of affected universities, of implementing the allowance in a manner that discriminates against health professionals.

“Presently, the CONTTA allowance plus six months’ arrears are being paid to all non-academic staff in federal universities, excluding health workers.

“This has caused emotional strain, as members watch their own union executives discriminate against them by denying them Federal Government benefits simply because health workers operate under a different salary structure,” the statement read.

The coalition argued that CONTTA was approved to support professional development, conference attendance, ICT and data services, and the purchase of professional materials for all non-academic staff, insisting that eligibility should not be determined by salary structure.

It also alleged that some members who sought clarification from union officials and university bursars were informed that only workers on the Consolidated Tertiary Institutions Salary Structure (CONTISS) qualified for the allowance, while those on CONMESS or CONHESS would have to switch salary structures to benefit.

Describing the position as unlawful, the coalition maintained that the exclusion violated the Trade Union Act, which guarantees equal treatment of union members without discrimination.

The group called on the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment to investigate the matter, urged the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission to clarify that CONTTA applies to all non-academic staff regardless of salary structure, and asked the National Universities Commission to direct federal universities to include health workers in the payment.

It warned that legal action would follow if the alleged discrimination continued.

“The implementation of the 2026 agreement must be done promptly, fully and without discrimination. The law is clear. We will not be silenced,” the coalition said.

Responding to the allegations, SSANU National Vice President, Abdulsobur Abdulsalam, denied that the union deliberately excluded health workers.

According to him, the limitation was imposed by the Federal Government during negotiations.

He explained that SSANU initially sought improved allowances for all non-academic staff but was informed that it could only negotiate for workers covered by the salary structure contained in the 2009 agreement.

“We went to the negotiation with an intention to negotiate for all cadres in the university system, but they told us that if we were not the ones that negotiated it initially, we do not have the locus to demand for an increment,” he said.

Abdulsalam noted that before 2012, all non-academic university workers, including health professionals, were on the Consolidated Tertiary Institutions Salary Structure (CONTISS).

He said the situation changed after the Nigerian Medical Association and the Joint Health Sector Unions negotiated separate salary structures for health workers, resulting in the adoption of CONMESS and CONHESS.

According to him, when SSANU reopened negotiations in 2026, the government insisted that the review could only apply to the CONTISS salary structure agreed in the 2009 negotiations.

He added that the union was exploring other options to ensure affected health workers are accommodated in future reviews.