High Fuel Price, Wage Award: Public Servants Begin Nationwide Warning Strike October 2 If…

• Insist September 30 ultimatum remains sacrosanct

• NLC backs public sector unions

 BY FRONTLINE REPORTERS

Public servants under the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC) yesterday threatened to embark on a nationwide strike from October 2 if the Federal Government fails to address their demands in President Bola Tinubu’s Independence Day broadcast.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has also thrown its weight behind the public sector unions’ position.

The workers had, on September 30, 2026, issued an ultimatum to the Federal Government over the rising price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, demanding a wage award and the commencement of negotiations for a new national minimum wage.

They had earlier, on September 21, written to President Bola Tinubu, outlining their demands.

The JNPSNC, comprising eight public sector unions, yesterday issued a three-day warning strike notice, saying it would take the action if the government failed to reduce the price of petrol to N500 per litre, approve a wage award and introduce other measures to cushion the effects of the economic hardship in the country.

Members of the JNPSNC include the Nigerian Civil Service Union (NCSU); Medical and Health Workers Union (M&HWU); 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 (NUAEE).

The council said it had mobilised public servants across the country for the warning strike if the Federal Government failed to address the issues raised in its letter to President Tinubu before the deadline.

In a statement, leaders of the JNPSNC warned that if the issues of fuel pump prices and the wage award were not addressed by September 30, particularly in the President’s Independence Day address, public servants nationwide would commence a three-day warning strike from October 2, 2026.

The statement, issued by the National Secretary of the JNPSNC and General Secretary of the Nigeria Civil Service Union, Olowoyo Gbenga, said the September 30 deadline remained sacrosanct, stressing that the concerns of Nigerian workers could no longer be ignored.

He said:

“The three critical issues requiring urgent attention are as follows:

Reduction of Fuel Price to N500 Per Litre

“The Federal Government should take urgent steps to reduce the price of PMS to N500 per litre.

“This can be achieved through the provision of an intervention fund to address landing costs and support oil and gas operators.

“It is equally important for the Federal Government to ensure the sale of crude oil to the Dangote Refinery and operators of modular refineries at appropriate terms, in order to facilitate increased domestic refining and help bring down the price of petroleum products.

“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.

“The council maintains that 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, making it increasingly difficult for Nigerians to live normal and dignified lives.

Wage Award

“The Federal Government should urgently approve a wage award for Nigerian workers to cushion the effects of the prevailing harsh economic conditions being experienced by workers, their dependants and vulnerable Nigerians.

“The council believes that urgent action on this demand will further enable public servants to consolidate their loyalty, commitment and productivity within the public service ecosystem.

Minimum Wage Committee

“The Federal Government should urgently establish a Tripartite Committee to commence and facilitate negotiations for the new national minimum wage expected to become due in 2027.

“The Nigerian workers’ demand for the immediate constitution of the committee is informed by the need to avoid any administrative or procedural delay that could affect the implementation of the new national minimum wage once it is eventually negotiated and passed into law by the National Assembly.

Warning Strike

“Consequently, the council states that failure by the Federal Government to take the necessary steps to address these issues on or before September 30, 2026, will leave Nigerian workers with no option but to commence a three-day warning strike with effect from Friday, October 2, 2026, to press home their demands.

“It is imperative to state clearly that the Independence Day address of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria should adequately address these critical issues.

“Failure to address the concerns raised, according to the council, will attract the displeasure of Nigerian workers and their dependants, as well as other vulnerable Nigerians who continue to bear the brunt of the prevailing economic hardship.”

NLC Backs Public Sector Unions, Warns of Nationwide Strike If…

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) yesterday declared its total support for the position of the JNPSNC, lamenting that the hardship in the country had become unbearable.

Speaking to Vanguard on the issues, Assistant General Secretary of the NLC, Chris Onyeka, said the congress supported the actions being taken by the public sector unions.

He said: “We are in support of the actions being taken by the public sector unions. Most of them are our affiliates. The situation in the country has become so bad.

“What public sector workers are going through and feeling is what other Nigerians, whether private-sector workers, state workers or informal-sector workers, are also feeling and experiencing.

“That is why we are surprised that the government has not rolled out immediate cushioning measures to mitigate the suffering, hardship and pain across the country, which have been exacerbated by the recent hike in the pump prices of fuel, especially petrol and cooking gas.

“We expected the government to show more concern about the hardships being experienced by Nigerians. The fact that the government has not done anything about the high cost of fuel up till now is very disappointing and shocking.

“Equally worrying is that the government has not responded to the NLC’s letter requesting the constitution of a National Minimum Wage Negotiation Committee to commence negotiations for a new minimum wage, when everyone knows that this is very imperative and urgent, given the socioeconomic realities of today.

“It is common knowledge that the value of the N70,000 minimum wage had already been eroded by inflation, even before its implementation began.

“So, we are fully behind every legal and legitimate action by the public sector unions on these issues of fuel prices, wage awards and a new minimum wage. We have to state here that if the demands of the public sector unions are not met as quickly as possible, it may snowball into a national strike involving all workers.

“We, therefore, advise the government to address their demands and ensure that any measures taken reflect the needs and realities of all Nigerians, especially the masses.”

However, efforts to reach officials of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.

But a source in the ministry claimed that the appropriate government officials were handling the issue.

“Though the letter by the public sector unions, through the JNPSNC, was addressed to President Bola Tinubu, I can tell that the appropriate authorities are handling the issue. That is all I can tell you because I am not in a position to speak for the ministry,” the source said.