Hardship: Civil Servants ask Tinubu to stabilise petrol at N500, pay N500,000 minimum wage

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Civil servants under the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC), Trade Union Side, have appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently address the worsening economic hardship confronting workers and their dependants.

The workers are demanding that the Federal Government stabilise the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) at N500 per litre, introduce an immediate Wage Award and review salaries and allowances across the public service.

They also called for the immediate constitution of a committee to negotiate a new National Minimum Wage ahead of its proposed implementation in January 2027.

In a letter addressed to Tinubu at the State House, Abuja, the council said the recent increase in petrol prices to N1,430 per litre and above in some locations had further deepened the cost-of-living crisis.

The JNPSNC gave the Federal Government until Wednesday, September 30, 2026, to act on its demands, warning that the prevailing hardship was generating palpable tension among workers and Nigerians.

The council attributed the worsening economic situation to the removal of fuel subsidy three years ago, which it said had triggered a sharp rise in petrol prices and pushed up the cost of essential commodities across the economy.

It argued that food palliatives, including rice, noodles, vegetable oil and garri, were neither sustainable nor accessible to the majority of Nigerians.

“It has dawned on Nigerian workers that the provision of palliatives such as bags of rice, Indomie, vegetable oil, garri, among other edible foods, is as good as weaponising Nigerians with poverty because it is a Pyrrhic intervention which is unsustainable, inaccessible to the majority of Nigeria’s population and also limited to political cronies,” the council stated.

Instead, the workers urged the Federal Government to adopt a broader intervention by making petrol available at N500 per litre, the price they said prevailed when subsidy was first removed in 2023.

The council maintained that reducing fuel prices would have a multiplier effect across the economy and provide relief to Nigerians beyond the direct beneficiaries of government palliatives.

It also called for the establishment of an intervention fund involving stakeholders in the oil sector to stabilise petrol prices and gradually bring the pump price down to the proposed N500 per litre.

The JNPSNC said the intervention could be given a different name if the term “fuel subsidy” was considered unacceptable by the government.

According to the council, the fund would enable Nigerians across the country, including those in remote communities, to benefit from the intervention.

The workers also endorsed proposals attributed to Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Joe Ajaero, on addressing the fuel crisis.

Among the proposals was the sale of sufficient crude oil in naira to local refineries, alongside an expansion of national storage capacity to strengthen energy security and prepare for emergencies.

The council cited the NLC’s position that Nigeria, as an oil-producing country, should provide some protection against global oil-market shocks, while making better use of its local refining capacity.

It also referenced the labour centre’s argument that government intervention in citizens’ needs was justified during emergencies, adding that local refineries importing crude oil undermined the purpose of developing domestic refining capacity.

The JNPSNC said it fully supported the NLC leadership’s proposals and urged the Federal Government to consider their urgent implementation.

Wage Award, Salary Review

On workers’ remuneration, the council demanded an immediate Wage Award for employees of the Federal, State and Local Governments, alongside an upward review of salaries and allowances across the public service.

It said the Wage Award should serve as an urgent intervention and a precursor to the proposed new National Minimum Wage expected to take effect in January 2027.

The council further urged Tinubu to direct the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) to commence discussions with the NLC, Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), JNPSNC and other relevant stakeholders on the proposed wage adjustments.

The workers proposed a minimum monthly salary of N500,000 for an officer on Grade Level 01, Step 1, under the 2027 salary template.

They also called for harmonised wages across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), while urging state and local governments to implement corresponding reviews.

The council further demanded periodic adjustments to salaries and allowances in line with inflation, as well as welfare measures such as subsidised transportation and affordable housing for civil servants.

It said improved remuneration was necessary to restore workers’ purchasing power, boost productivity and service delivery, promote integrity and accountability, and strengthen public trust and industrial peace.

Workers Seek Early Minimum Wage Talks

The JNPSNC called for the immediate establishment of a committee to negotiate the new National Minimum Wage, arguing that early commencement of the process would prevent delays and ensure implementation by January 2027.

“There is urgent need to immediately set up committee for the negotiation of New National Minimum Wage to accelerate the commencement of the New National Minimum Wage before 2027 so that it can take effect from January, 2027,” the council stated.

The workers said civil servants remained the backbone of governance and national development, noting that they were responsible for formulating and implementing policies, executing government programmes and providing essential public services.

However, they said rising inflation, fuel prices and transportation costs, alongside increasing expenses on food, housing, healthcare and education, had eroded the real value of workers’ salaries.

“Many workers are now struggling to meet basic financial obligations, which has inevitably affected the morale, motivation, and overall productivity within the Public Service,” the council stated.

The JNPSNC urged Tinubu to ensure that the demands were addressed on or before September 30, 2026, warning that failure to act could worsen tensions among workers.

It also expressed hope that the President’s forthcoming Independence Day broadcast would address the concerns raised in its letter.

The council said workers and other Nigerians were looking forward to the broadcast for measures that would ease economic hardship and provide relief to struggling households.