Public Servants Begin Three-Day Warning Strike Over Economic Hardship
Public servants across Nigeria are set to withdraw their services from Friday, October 2, as the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC) commences a three-day warning strike over worsening economic conditions and unresolved demands.
The industrial action, scheduled to run until Sunday, October 4, was announced in a circular issued by the council on October 1 and signed by its National Secretary, Olowoyo Gbenga.
The directive covers workers in federal, state and local government establishments and follows the expiration of a September 30 deadline given to the Federal Government to respond to the workers’ demands.
Among the key demands is a reduction in the pump price of petrol to ₦500 per litre. The council said the high cost of fuel has contributed to rising transportation expenses and increased the prices of food and other essential commodities.
The JNPSNC also wants the government to approve an immediate wage award for workers as an emergency measure to ease the pressure created by the rising cost of living.
Another major demand is the establishment of a tripartite committee to commence negotiations for a new national minimum wage ahead of 2027. The council is seeking a minimum wage of at least ₦500,000 under the next wage arrangement.
According to the unions, early negotiations are necessary to prevent delays in reaching and implementing a new wage agreement when the existing arrangement expires.
The council’s decision comes shortly after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Independence Day address, in which he acknowledged the economic difficulties facing Nigerians while defending his administration’s ongoing reforms.
The Nigeria Labour Congress has also raised concerns about the impact of high transportation costs, inflation and declining purchasing power on workers and households. It has called for measures including lower petrol prices, a nationwide wage award and negotiations toward a new minimum wage.
Several unions affiliated with the JNPSNC are expected to participate in the action, including 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.
Other participating unions include those representing workers in public corporations, technical services, agriculture, printing and publishing, as well as secretarial and data-processing services.
The JNPSNC has directed its national and state structures to mobilise members and ensure compliance with the three-day warning strike.
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