Public servants under the aegis of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC) say they will begin a three-day warning strike on Friday if the federal government fails to slash the price of petrol to N500 and approve a new wage award for workers.
In a statement on Tuesday, Gbenga Olowoyo, national secretary of JNPSNC and general secretary of the Nigeria Civil Service Union (NCSU), said the September 30 ultimatum they had earlier handed to the government to address the rising cost of petrol and begin negotiations for a new national minimum wage remains sacrosanct.
He said the council has mobilised workers to embark on the industrial action should President Bola Tinubu fail to announce a drastic cut in petrol price and a new national minimum wage in his Independence Day speech.
“The three critical issues requiring urgent attention are as follows: reduction of fuel price to N500 per litre. The Federal Government should take urgent steps to bring down the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to N500 per litre,” the statement reads.
“The Federal Government should urgently approve a wage award for Nigerian workers to cushion the effects of the prevailing harsh economic conditions being experienced by workers, their dependants, and vulnerable Nigerians.
“It is imperative to state clearly that the Independence Day address of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria should adequately address these critical issues.
“Consequently, the council states that failure by the Federal Government to take the necessary steps to address these issues on or before 30th September 2026 will leave Nigerian workers with no option but to commence a three-day warning strike, with effect from Friday, 2nd October 2026, to press home their demands.”
Olowoyo said the council had on September 21 written a letter to Tinubu in which it made the three demands, including the commencement of negotiations for a minimum wage of not less than N500,000 from 2027, among others.
It, however, expressed displeasure that no visible action had been taken on the stated demands more than a week after the letter.
