The JNPSNC, a coalition of eight public sector unions, issued the warning in a statement released on Tuesday by its National Secretary, Gbenga Olowoyo, who also serves as the General Secretary of the Nigeria Civil Service Union. Olowoyo described the September 30 deadline as “sacrosanct,” stating that the concerns regarding the cost of living and worker welfare could no longer be ignored. The council urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to address these issues directly during his Independence Day address.
The union’s demands center on three primary issues: a reduction in fuel prices, the approval of an immediate wage award, and the commencement of negotiations for a new national minimum wage. The council has called for the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to be slashed to 500 Naira per litre. To achieve this, the JNPSNC proposed that the government establish an intervention fund to cover landing costs and support oil and gas operators. Additionally, the council requested that the Federal Government ensure crude oil is supplied to the Dangote Refinery and modular refinery operators on appropriate terms to facilitate increased domestic refining.
The current market prices for petrol, which the council noted range from 1,450 Naira to 2,000 Naira per litre in major areas and reach as high as 2,500 Naira in some locations outside major communities, were deemed “unacceptable” by the union. The JNPSNC argued that these high fuel costs are placing severe pressure on the survival of Nigerian workers, their dependants, and the general populace, making it increasingly difficult for citizens to live dignified lives.
The current price of Premium Motor Spirit (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.
Alongside fuel prices, the council demanded the immediate approval of a wage award to cushion the effects of the prevailing harsh economic conditions. The union stated that urgent action on this front would help public servants consolidate their loyalty and productivity within the public service ecosystem. The third demand involves the urgent establishment of a tripartite committee to facilitate negotiations for the new national minimum wage, which is due in 2027. The council emphasized the need for early constitution of this committee to avoid administrative or procedural delays that could hinder the implementation of the new wage once it is passed into law by the National Assembly.
The JNPSNC comprises several major public sector unions, including the Nigerian Civil Service Union, the Medical and Health Workers Union, the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, and the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives. Other member unions include the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Employees; the Nigeria Union of Public Service, Reportorial, Secretarial, Data Processors and Allied Workers; the National Union of Printing, Publishing and Paper Products Workers; and the National Union of Agriculture and Allied Employees.
The government had received a letter from the JNPSNC on September 21 outlining these demands. The council stated that failure by the Federal Government to take the necessary steps to address these issues on or before September 30, 2026, would leave Nigerian workers with “no option” but to commence industrial action. The three-day strike is intended to press home the workers’ demands and force a government response to the escalating economic hardship.
