Public Servants Shut Offices Nationwide as 3-Day Warning Strike Begins

Public Servants Shut Offices Nationwide as 3-Day Warning Strike Begins

Public servants across Nigeria have begun a three-day warning strike following the failure of the Federal Government to respond to demands by organised public sector unions over the worsening cost of living.

The industrial action, directed by the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC), commenced on Friday, October 2, and is scheduled to continue until Sunday, October 4, 2026.

The council directed workers in the federal, state and local government services to participate in the action, which is aimed at pressing the government to address what labour described as growing economic pressure on workers and their families.

The strike followed a circular issued by the JNPSNC on October 1 and signed by its National Secretary, Olowoyo Gbenga, after the government failed to respond to requests earlier presented to President Bola Tinubu.

Among the major demands is a reduction in the price of petrol to N500 per litre, which the council says would help reduce the pressure that fuel costs have placed on transportation and household expenses.

The workers are also demanding an immediate wage award to cushion the effects of rising living costs and the commencement of negotiations for a new national minimum wage ahead of 2027.

The JNPSNC had previously written to the President on September 21 and gave the government a deadline to address the issues before the planned industrial action.

With the deadline passing without the council’s demands being addressed, the unions proceeded with the warning strike.

The council said the decision was driven by the economic difficulties confronting workers, their dependants and other vulnerable Nigerians.

The development means government offices and other public institutions affected by the directive may experience disruptions during the three-day action, depending on the level of compliance among workers.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress has backed the concerns raised by the public service unions and called for urgent measures to ease the pressure on workers.

In its Independence Day message, the NLC demanded a reduction in petrol prices, a nationwide wage award and the immediate commencement of negotiations for a new national minimum wage.

NLC President Joe Ajaero said the purchasing power of workers had been weakened by the rising cost of food, transportation, housing, education and other basic necessities.

The labour centre also questioned the continued impact of the petrol subsidy removal on household expenses, arguing that higher fuel prices had filtered into transportation and the wider cost of living.

The NLC said petrol was selling at about N1,430 per litre or higher in major cities, with prices reportedly higher in some remote areas.

According to the congress, the increase in transport costs has contributed to higher prices for food, rent, school fees and other essential services.

It therefore called for measures that would break the link between fuel costs and the rising prices of goods and services.

The NLC also demanded the implementation of tax relief measures contained in its October 2023 agreement with the Federal Government, alongside steps to reduce the cost of governance and improve transparency in public spending.

The congress further called for greater investment in roads, hospitals, schools and other public infrastructure, saying stronger social services would help reduce the economic pressure on households.

It also criticised Nigeria’s dependence on imported refined petroleum products and called for increased investment in domestic refining capacity.

On employment, the NLC raised concerns about youth unemployment and migration, urging the government to create more opportunities for young Nigerians within the country.

The congress also linked insecurity to the wider economic difficulties, noting its effects on farming, education, healthcare and other areas of national life.

As the 2027 general elections approach, the NLC said workers should retain the freedom to make independent political choices and called for an electoral process free from intimidation, manipulation and divisive rhetoric.

The three-day warning strike places the workers’ demands at the centre of renewed discussions over wages, petrol prices and the wider cost-of-living crisis facing Nigerians.