Medical & Health Workers Union of Nigeria

About Us

Who we are and what we stand for.

The Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria represents the voice of health professionals and supports a stronger, more organized workforce.

History

Built to serve and unite health workers.

MHWUN was formed during a sweeping restructuring of Nigeria's independent trade unions.

The 1978 Merger: Officially registered following the Trade Unions (Amendment) Decree of 1977. This decree collapsed 17 disparate, fragmented health sector associations into a single industrial union.

Early Precedents: Its earliest institutional roots trace back to 1935 with the registration of the Medical and Health Department Workers' Union of Nigeria and the Cameroons.

The Pioneer Era: Under pioneering labor leaders, the union shifted the health sector away from colonial-era staff associations toward modern collective bargaining, establishing itself as a founding affiliate of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

Evolution of JOHESU: In the 2000s, MHWUN spearheaded the creation of the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU). This umbrella coalition unites multiple non-doctor health unions to jointly negotiate harmonized salary scales and allowances.

Mission

Mission and Vision for the union.

Vision Statement

To be an unbeatable, progressive, and highly responsive vanguard organization, consistently securing the highest standards of workplace dignity, safety, and socio-economic prosperity for all healthcare workers across Nigeria.

Mission Statement

To organize, educate, and empower all paramedical, technical, and ancillary health personnel through aggressive advocacy, institutional capacity building, and constructive collective bargaining ensuring a highly motivated workforce capable of delivering robust healthcare services to the Nigerian populace.

Purpose

Why the union exists.

The union operates under an explicit constitution to ensure professional equity within health institutions.

Primary Purpose

  • Economic Defense: To negotiate, secure, and defend fair salary structures, hazard packages, and retirement benefits for members.
  • Democratizing the Workplace: To eliminate systemic institutional marginalization and ensure non-doctor professionals have representation in administrative and clinical boards.
  • Capacity Advancement: To run continuous training programs, seminars, and health retreats that improve the technical skills of frontline workers.

Core Values

The principles that guide MHWUN.

  • Solidarity: Standing unified across all cadres from laboratory scientists to ward attendants to ensure no worker faces management disputes alone.
  • Equity: Fighting for fair, unbiased career progression, promotion structures, and equal respect across all medical specialties.
  • Accountability: Maintaining transparent union administration, clear handling of check-off dues, and unwavering responsibility to rank-and-file members.
  • Safety First: Demanding secure operational environments, complete personal protective equipment (PPE), and protection from regional security challenges.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

The principal aims and objectives of MHWUN shall be:

  1. Organization and registration of workers who are in Medical and Health services in both public and private sectors of the economy.
  2. Regulation of relationship between workers and employers.
  3. Establishment and maintenance of just and proper hours of work, adequate rates of pay, humane conditions of labour, and adequate retirement/pension benefits.
  4. Establishment and maintenance of high standards of workmanship and professional practice.
  5. Ensuring advancement of workers' education.
  6. Furthering of the interests, welfare and well-being of members and their families.
  7. Encouraging of participation of workers in policy making in the health industry.
  8. Provision of legal and/or other assistance when necessary in matters pertaining to the interests of members who may suffer injury by accident or through unjust treatment arising from disputes between employers and members.
  9. Ensuring cordial inter-cadre and intra-cadre relationships among members.
  10. Ensuring cooperative and other welfare activities for the benefit of workers and staff generally.

MEMBERSHIPS

The membership of Medical and Health Workers' Union of Nigeria shall include:

  1. The membership of Medical and Health Workers' Union of Nigeria shall be made up of all workers including those classified as Para-medical Staff engaged in Medical and Health Service Delivery in Federal/States Ministries of Health, Teaching/Specialist Hospitals, Federal Medical Centres, General/Government Hospitals/Health Centres, Health/Hospital Management Boards, Armed Forces, Federal, States and Local Government Health Institutions and Parastatals; Veterinary/Animal Health Centres, Pest Control Centres/Institutions, and corporately owned Medical/Health Institutions, Social Welfare Health Information Record Officers, and all establishments responsible for General Sanitation, Refuse Collection and Disposal, Food and Drug Administration; including Scientific Officers in any institution so established for the performance of Medical, Health and Environmental-related services, and staff of training institutions and Medical Research Centres, but excluding Medical Doctors, Pharmacists, Radiographers, Medical Laboratory Scientists, Nurses and Midwives.
  2. No person shall be deprived of membership of the Union on grounds of sex, religion, political beliefs or ethnic origin.
  3. A member of the Union shall maintain his membership in the local branch in which he is employed.
  4. A member of the Union shall be supplied with a copy of the Constitution of the Union on admission to membership at the cost of N500.00 or as may be determined by the CWC.
  5. A member shall have the right to have his grievance processed by the Union.
  6. A member, upon giving seven (7) days' notice, shall have reasonable access to the books of account of the Union.
  7. A member shall uphold and defend the Constitution of the Union.
  8. A member shall pay his contributions to the funds of the Union, regularly endeavour to participate fully in the affairs of the Union, and refrain from any action that may bring the Union into disrepute.
  9. The Union shall have the right to take disciplinary measures against any member for abuse of office or misconduct after such a member has been given full opportunity to defend himself.

EDUCATION

The Union shall further members' education through the following provisions:

  1. The National Executive Council shall establish an Education Committee, which will be charged with the responsibility of the furtherance of members' education. The Committee shall organize education programmes such as seminars, symposia, induction courses, etc., and shall explore all avenues for local and overseas training courses for members on industrial, economic and socio-political matters relevant to workers' circumstances.
  2. The Union, in the interest of its members, may offer loans, scholarships and/or bursaries to any suitable members/employees under such terms and conditions as the National Executive Council may determine.
  3. There shall be a National Women Committee (NWC), which shall meet quadrennially to elect its officers as follows:
    • National Chairperson
    • Deputy National Chairperson W/C
    • Secretary
    • Assistant Secretary
    • Treasurer
    • Publicity Secretary
    • Six Zonal Coordinators

    The National Chairperson shall be a National Vice President of the Union.

Roll of Honour

Our Past Leaders

Honouring the former leaders who served the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria, Katsina State Council.

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