Public sector workers across the federal, state and local governments have commenced a three-day warning strike following the failure of the Federal Government to address demands by the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC).
The industrial action began at midnight on Friday, October 2, 2026, and is scheduled to run until Sunday, October 4.
The JNPSNC directed workers across ministries, departments and agencies, as well as other public institutions, to fully participate in the strike.
The council said the action was necessary because of what it described as worsening economic hardship affecting workers, their dependants and other vulnerable Nigerians.
The decision followed a September 21 letter sent by the council to President Bola Tinubu, outlining demands aimed at reducing the impact of the current economic difficulties on workers.
Among the major demands is a reduction in the pump price of petrol to N500 per litre. The union said the current petrol price, which it put at between N1,450 and N2,000 per litre in different locations, was placing additional pressure on workers and households.
The council also demanded an immediate wage award for public servants to cushion the effects of the rising cost of living.
It further called on the Federal Government to begin negotiations for a new national minimum wage ahead of 2027, when the current wage arrangement is expected to come under review.
The JNPSNC had earlier warned that workers would embark on the three-day warning strike if the government failed to address its demands by September 30.
According to the council, President Tinubu’s Independence Day address did not contain measures addressing the workers’ demands, prompting the unions to proceed with the planned industrial action.
In a circular issued by the National Secretary of the Trade Union side of the JNPSNC, Olowoyo Gbenga, the council directed national and state officials of its affiliate unions to ensure compliance with the strike.
The council said the action was also aimed at drawing attention to what it described as growing economic and mental pressure on workers and other Nigerians.
The unions also proposed that the Federal Government should support measures that could reduce the cost of petroleum products, including facilitating the supply of crude oil to the Dangote Refinery and modular refineries on appropriate terms.
The council said increased domestic refining could help improve the availability of petroleum products and reduce their cost.
SSANU raises concerns over agreement implementation
Meanwhile, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has warned against delays and selective implementation of the 2026 Federal Government of Nigeria/SSANU Agreement.
Speaking at the union’s 56th National Executive Council meeting at the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, SSANU National President, Mohammed Ibrahim, said implementation had started in some universities but remained incomplete in others due to funding and administrative challenges.
Ibrahim said the agreement and resolutions reached by the union’s National Executive Council should translate into tangible benefits for members.
He directed branches and zones to monitor implementation, keep accurate membership records and report cases of non-compliance or victimisation to the national secretariat.
The SSANU president also said the union remained committed to dialogue but warned that it would take lawful steps to protect its members’ interests if implementation of the agreement was deliberately frustrated.
He added that the 2026 agreement took effect from January 1, 2026, although it was formally signed on June 29, 2026, and said financial obligations arising from the effective date should be fully settled.
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