Public servants under the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council, JNPSNC, have issued a fresh warning of a three-day nationwide strike from Friday, October 2, if the Federal Government fails to address their demands over the rising cost of petrol and workers’ welfare.
The council, comprising eight public sector unions, is demanding a reduction in petrol prices to 500 naira per litre, an immediate wage award to cushion the impact of economic hardship, and the commencement of negotiations for a new national minimum wage ahead of 2027.
The unions had written to President Bola Tinubu on September 21, with a September 30 deadline for the government to act. The council says the current petrol price, which it puts at between 1,450 and 2,000 naira per litre, and as high as 2,500 naira in some areas, is placing severe pressure on workers and their dependants.
The JNPSNC says failure by the Federal Government to address the issues by today, September 30, will leave workers with no option but to commence the three-day warning strike on October 2. It also wants the government to immediately constitute a tripartite committee to begin negotiations for the new national minimum wage expected to become due in 2027.
