Public Servants Reaffirm October 2 Warning Strike Over Petrol Price, Wage Award
Public servants under the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC) have reaffirmed their September 30, 2026, deadline to the Federal Government over the high cost of petrol, a proposed wage award and negotiations for a new national minimum wage. The council said failure to address its demands could trigger a three-day warning strike from October 2.
The JNPSNC, which comprises eight public sector unions, said it had mobilised workers nationwide for the proposed industrial action. The unions are demanding that the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, be reduced to N500 per litre, alongside immediate measures to ease the pressure of rising living costs.
The council had written to President Bola Tinubu on September 21, outlining its demands and calling for an immediate wage award. It also requested the establishment of a committee to begin negotiations for a new national minimum wage ahead of 2027, with the workers earlier proposing a minimum salary of N500,000 for entry-level public servants under the new structure.
In a statement issued by JNPSNC National Secretary and General Secretary of the Nigeria Civil Service Union, Gbenga Olowoyo, the council said its September 30 deadline remained unchanged. It urged the Federal Government to take steps to reduce petrol prices, including measures to support domestic refining and address costs affecting petroleum products.
The unions also called for a wage award to cushion the effect of prevailing economic conditions on workers, their dependants and vulnerable Nigerians. They argued that the high cost of fuel had contributed to wider increases in the cost of essential goods and services, putting additional pressure on household incomes.
On the minimum wage, the council wants the Federal Government to urgently constitute a tripartite committee to begin negotiations for the new national minimum wage expected to become due in 2027. The workers said early negotiations would help prevent administrative delays when a new wage agreement is eventually reached and passed into law.
The JNPSNC said President Tinubu’s Independence Day address on October 1 should address the concerns raised by the workers. It warned that failure to take the requested steps by September 30 would lead to the proposed three-day warning strike beginning Friday, October 2, 2026.
The unions involved include the Nigerian Civil Service Union, Medical and Health Workers Union, Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, and four other public sector unions. The proposed action therefore covers workers represented by the participating unions across the country.