Author: Public Workers Begin 3-Day Strike Friday

Public servants under the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC) have announced a three-day warning strike from Friday, October 2, 2026, over the high cost of petrol and worsening economic hardship.

The workers said the action followed the Federal Government’s failure to meet their demand for a reduction in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to N500 per litre.

The JNPSNC, which comprises eight public sector unions, had issued the Federal Government a September 30 deadline to address their demands.

The unions had also called for the immediate approval of a wage award and the commencement of negotiations for a new national minimum wage of not less than N500,000 from 2027.

Giving an update on the ultimatum, the council said it had mobilised public servants across the country for the warning strike following the expiration of the deadline.

In a statement, the National Secretary of the JNPSNC and General Secretary of the Nigeria Civil Service Union, Gbenga Olowoyo, said the September 30 deadline remained sacrosanct.

Olowoyo warned that failure by the Federal Government to address the workers’ concerns would trigger the three-day warning strike beginning Friday.

The unions said the prevailing petrol price, which they put at between N1,450 and N2,000 per litre, and as high as N2,500 in some locations outside major cities, had become unbearable for workers.

According to the council, the high cost of petrol has significantly increased the financial burden on workers and their dependants.

It said the situation had also affected the wider population, making it increasingly difficult for Nigerians to maintain a normal and dignified standard of living.

The JNPSNC had last week written to President Bola Tinubu, urging the Federal Government to take urgent measures to address what it described as the worsening economic hardship confronting workers and their families.

The council said its demands were aimed at cushioning the impact of rising living costs and improving the welfare of public servants.

With the deadline now expired, the unions said public servants nationwide were set to commence the warning strike on Friday unless the Federal Government takes action on their demands.