Public sector workers across Nigeria are set to begin a nationwide three-day warning strike on Friday, October 2, if the Federal Government fails to slash petrol prices and address urgent wage demands.
The Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC), an umbrella body representing eight public sector unions, confirmed that its ultimatum to President Bola Tinubu expires on September 30.
The workers are demanding a reduction in petrol pump prices to N500 per litre. Currently, fuel prices range between N1,450 and N2,500 per litre across the country, placing financial pressure on its citizens.
To ease the economic hardship, the council is also calling for a temporary wage relief package and the setup of a committee to begin talks for a new national minimum wage.
According to a report by The Punch, union leaders expect President Tinubu to address these critical economic issues during his October 1 Independence Day broadcast.
In a statement, JNPSNC National Secretary Gbenga Olowoyo warned that public servants can no longer bear the soaring cost of living without intervention.
“Failure by the Federal Government to take the necessary steps to address these issues on or before September 30 will leave Nigerian workers with no option but to commence a three-day warning strike starting Friday, October 2,” Olowoyo said.
The unions involved in the planned action include the Nigeria Civil Service Union, the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, the Medical and Health Workers Union, and the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, among others.
Public institutions, civil service offices, and government agencies nationwide plans to shut down on Friday morning, potentially grounding administrative services across the country, if the government does not act before the deadline.
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