Public servants under the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC) have threatened to embark on a nationwide three-day warning strike from October 2, 2026, if the Federal Government fails to address their demands on fuel prices, wage awards and negotiations for a new national minimum wage.
The council issued the warning on Tuesday, insisting that its September 30 deadline remains unchanged.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has also backed the position of the public sector unions, warning that failure by the government to address the issues could lead to a wider national strike involving workers across the country.
The JNPSNC, which comprises eight public sector unions, had earlier written to President Bola Tinubu on September 21, outlining measures it wants the Federal Government to take to ease the economic hardship being experienced by workers and other Nigerians.
The unions are demanding that the price of Premium Motor Spirit, commonly known as petrol, be reduced to N500 per litre, that a wage award be approved for workers and that a tripartite committee be immediately constituted to begin negotiations for a new national minimum wage ahead of 2027.
The unions forming the JNPSNC include the Nigerian Civil Service Union (NCSU), Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), and National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM).
Others are the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Employees (AUPCTRE), Nigeria Union of Public Service, Reportorial, Secretarial, Data Processors and Allied Workers (NUPSRAW), National Union of Printing, Publishing and Paper Products Workers (NUPPPPROW), and National Union of Agriculture and Allied Employees (NUAAE).
In a statement signed by the National Secretary of the JNPSNC and General Secretary of the Nigeria Civil Service Union, Olowoyo Gbenga, the council said it had mobilised its members nationwide for the proposed warning strike.
The council said failure by the Federal Government to respond to its demands by September 30, particularly through President Tinubu’s Independence Day address, would trigger the three-day action beginning Friday, October 2.
The unions said the current petrol price, which they said ranges from N1,450 to N2,000 per litre and could reach N2,500 in some locations, had placed severe financial pressure on workers and their families.
They urged the Federal Government to introduce an intervention fund to reduce landing costs and support operators in the oil and gas sector.
The JNPSNC also called for crude oil to be made available to the Dangote Refinery and modular refinery operators on appropriate terms to encourage domestic refining and help reduce petroleum product prices.
Wage award
The council further demanded an immediate wage award for Nigerian workers to cushion the effects of rising living costs.
According to the unions, such a measure would help workers cope with the current economic situation while improving their commitment and productivity in the public service.
New minimum wage negotiations
The public sector unions also called for the immediate establishment of a tripartite committee to begin negotiations for a new national minimum wage expected to become due in 2027.
They said early commencement of the process would prevent administrative delays that could affect the implementation of a new minimum wage after negotiations and legislative approval.
The JNPSNC said the government had until September 30 to address the demands, warning that failure to do so would leave the unions with no option but to begin the three-day warning strike on October 2.
The council also said the President’s Independence Day address should adequately address the concerns raised by workers.
NLC backs public sector unions
The NLC has thrown its weight behind the JNPSNC’s position, saying the economic situation had become increasingly difficult for Nigerians.
The NLC Assistant General Secretary, Chris Onyeka, said the labour centre supported the planned action because most of the public sector unions involved are its affiliates.
He said the hardship being experienced by public sector workers was also affecting private-sector employees, state workers and informal-sector operators.
Onyeka criticised the Federal Government for failing to introduce what the NLC described as immediate measures to cushion the effects of rising fuel and cooking gas prices.
He also said the NLC was concerned that the government had yet to respond to its request for the constitution of a National Minimum Wage Negotiation Committee.
According to him, the N70,000 minimum wage has already lost significant purchasing power because of inflation.
He said the NLC would support lawful actions by public sector unions over fuel prices, wage awards and the new minimum wage.
Onyeka further warned that if the demands were not addressed promptly, the situation could escalate into a nationwide strike involving workers across the country.
The NLC therefore urged the government to engage the unions and introduce measures that reflect the economic realities facing Nigerians.
Meanwhile, efforts to obtain a response from officials of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment were unsuccessful as of the time of filing the report.
However, a source in the ministry said the matter was being handled by the appropriate government authorities.
The source said the unions’ letter was addressed to President Tinubu and that relevant officials were already attending to the issues raised.
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