The Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC) has directed public servants across federal, state and local governments to begin a three-day warning strike on Friday, October 2, over demands for cheaper petrol, an immediate wage award and negotiations for a new national minimum wage.
The industrial action is scheduled to run until Sunday, October 4, according to the directive attributed to the council’s National Secretary, Gbenga Olowoyo.
The council said the decision followed the expiration of its September 30 deadline for the Federal Government to address demands submitted to President Bola Tinubu in a September 21 letter.
Workers Demand Petrol at ₦500 Per Litre
The council’s demands include a reduction in the pump price of petrol to ₦500 per litre and an immediate wage award to cushion the economic difficulties facing workers and their dependants.
It also wants negotiations to begin for a new national minimum wage, which the council says should take effect in 2027.
The proposed petrol price is a union demand, not an announced government price. Similarly, the call for minimum wage negotiations does not constitute an approved wage increase or implementation agreement.
The demands form part of the wider debate over fuel costs and household purchasing power. The Bureau Journal has examined proposals on fuel subsidy and domestic refining and reported on food-price pressures affecting Nigerian households.
Council Directs Nationwide Mobilisation
The circular was addressed to national presidents, general secretaries and state leaders of the council’s affiliate unions, directing them to mobilise members for the warning strike.
The council attributed the action to what it described as the Federal Government’s failure to meet its demands, saying workers and their families were facing increasing economic hardship.
Reports by Nigerian Tribune and Leadership also carried the strike directive.
Public Sector Unions Covered by Directive
The JNPSNC comprises eight public sector unions. They include the Nigeria Civil Service Union, Medical and Health Workers Union, Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria and National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives.
The council’s directive calls for participation across the three tiers of government. It does not establish that every public institution will close or specify which services will be maintained during the action.
The announced action is a three-day warning strike, rather than an indefinite stoppage. Its implementation and any subsequent negotiations will determine the extent of disruption to public services.
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