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Joint council gives Federal Government ultimatum, threatening a three-day warning strike starting October 2 over rising living expenses.
Public sector workers across Nigeria under the umbrella of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC) have issued a final warning to the Federal Government, threatening to embark on a three-day nationwide strike starting Friday, October 2, if fuel pump prices are not immediately reduced.
The labor alliance, comprising eight prominent public sector unions, reaffirmed its September 30 deadline, demanding swift executive intervention to lower the cost of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to N500 per liter and introduce comprehensive relief measures for civil servants.
Unions Outline Demands for Price Reduction and Relief Packages
In a official statement released on Tuesday, September 29, the leadership of the JNPSNC emphasized that public servants nationwide have been mobilized for industrial action should the administration fail to address their core grievances.
The council outlined three major conditions, including the immediate provision of intervention funds to absorb fuel landing costs, supporting local refining through crude sales to the Dangote Refinery and modular operators, and the immediate declaration of a wage award for public workers.
“The current price of PMS, ranging from N1,450 to N2,000 and, in some locations outside major communities and cities, as high as N2,500 per litre, is unacceptable to Nigerian workers,” stated Gbenga Olowoyo, National Secretary of the JNPSNC. “The economic hardship occasioned by the high cost of fuel is placing the survival of Nigerian workers, their dependants, and the general populace under severe pressure.”
The council urged President Bola Tinubu to address the labor concerns directly during his Independence Day broadcast to avert a widespread economic shutdown.
Workers Demand Tripartite Committee for 2027 Minimum Wage
Beyond immediate fuel price relief and wage awards, the labor body called on the executive branch to immediately establish a tripartite committee to begin early preparations for the next national minimum wage framework expected in 2027.
The council argued that initiating early negotiations would prevent procedural delays and ensure smooth legislative passage when the current minimum wage structure expires.
Affiliated unions participating in the strike action include the Nigerian Civil Service Union, Medical and Health Workers Union, Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, and the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, alongside four other major public service labor groups.
As the September 30 ultimatum lapses, citizens and commercial sectors across the country remain watchful, waiting to see if executive interventions will resolve the impending labor crisis before the planned October 2 shutdown.
