National News
Public Servants threaten October 2 strike over petrol price, wage award, gets NLC backing
Public servants under the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC) have threatened to embark on a three-day nationwide warning strike from October 2 if the Federal Government fails to address their demands over petrol prices, a wage award and negotiations for a new national minimum wage.
The council reaffirmed its September 30, 2026 deadline to the Federal Government in a statement issued ahead of President Bola Tinubu’s Independence Day address.
The JNPSNC, which comprises eight public sector unions, said public servants across the country had been mobilised for the proposed industrial action should the government fail to respond to the issues raised in its letter to the President.
The council is demanding that the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, be reduced to N500 per litre, an immediate wage award for workers and the establishment of a tripartite committee to begin negotiations for a new national minimum wage expected to become due in 2027.
The JNPSNC had written to Tinubu on September 21, outlining its demands and giving the Federal Government until September 30 to take action.
In its latest warning, the council said failure to address the demands by the deadline would leave public servants with “no option” but to begin a three-day warning strike from Friday, October 2.
The council also said it expected Tinubu’s Independence Day broadcast on October 1 to address the concerns raised by Nigerian workers.
Workers Demand N500 Petrol
The JNPSNC said the Federal Government should take urgent steps to bring down the price of petrol to N500 per litre.
According to the council, this could be achieved through an intervention fund to address landing costs and support oil and gas operators.
It also called on the government to ensure the availability of crude oil to the Dangote Refinery and modular refinery operators on appropriate terms, arguing that increased domestic refining could help reduce the price of petroleum products.
The council said petrol prices ranging from about N1,450 to N2,500 per litre in some locations had placed severe pressure on workers and the wider population.
It said the high cost of fuel had increased the financial burden on workers and their dependants and made it increasingly difficult for Nigerians to maintain their standard of living.
Demand for Wage Award
The public sector unions also called for an immediate wage award to cushion the impact of the prevailing economic conditions.
The council said the measure would provide relief to workers and vulnerable Nigerians affected by the rising cost of living.
It argued that addressing the demand would also help public servants maintain their commitment and productivity within the public service.
Fresh Minimum Wage Negotiations
The JNPSNC further demanded the immediate constitution of a tripartite committee to begin negotiations for a new national minimum wage ahead of 2027.
The council said early commencement of negotiations was necessary to prevent administrative or procedural delays that could affect the implementation of a new wage once an agreement is reached and the necessary legislation is passed.
The demand comes amid labour concerns that the purchasing power of the existing N70,000 minimum wage has been eroded by rising living costs. The NLC has previously backed the JNPSNC’s calls for a new minimum wage negotiation process.
NLC Backs Public Servants
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has expressed support for the position of the public sector unions.
NLC Assistant General Secretary, Chris Onyeka, said the organisation supported the actions being taken by the JNPSNC, noting that several of the unions involved are NLC affiliates.
Onyeka said the economic difficulties facing public servants were also being experienced by private-sector workers, state employees and informal-sector workers.
He urged the Federal Government to introduce immediate measures to ease the hardship caused by rising fuel and other living costs.
The NLC also expressed concern over the delay in constituting a committee to negotiate a new national minimum wage.
Onyeka warned that failure to address the public sector unions’ demands could eventually lead to a broader national strike involving workers across different sectors.
FG Yet to Respond
Efforts to obtain a response from officials of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity were unsuccessful at the time of the report.
However, a ministry source said the matter was being handled by the appropriate government authorities.
The JNPSNC has maintained that September 30 remains its deadline and that the proposed three-day warning strike would begin on October 2 if the Federal Government fails to address its demands.
The development puts additional pressure on the government ahead of the October 1 Independence Day celebrations and President Tinubu’s planned national broadcast.
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