Civil servants to close government offices nationwide for 3-day strike – THIS UPDATE

By Victor Osula, Abuja

Angered that President Bola Tinubu failed to address substantive issues affecting their welfare in his Independence Day speech, public officials across Nigeria are set to close government offices and other public services from midnight on Friday, October 2.

The union-side Joint National Public Service Bargaining Council (JNPSNC) said it would begin a three-day warning strike over the worsening cost of living and what it described as the federal government’s failure to respond to workers’ demands.

The warning strike will last from Friday 2 October to Sunday 4 October 2026.

The JNPSNC formally activated the action in a circular dated October 1 and signed by its National Secretary, Comrade Olowoyo Gbenga. The circular was addressed to the national presidents and general secretaries, as well as to the presidents of the States and the secretaries of the trade unions affiliated to the Council.

Titled “Three (3) Day Warning Strike Declaration; Action with Immediate Effect”, the circular recalls the council’s earlier position that the workers would proceed with the strike if President Bola Ahmed Tinubu failed to respond to its demands contained in a letter dated September 21.

“As a consequence of the above, the strike will begin with effect from midnight on Friday 2 October 2026 to Sunday 4 October 2026”, specifies the Council.

He called on public employees in federal, state and local government services to join the action, highlighting the economic and mental hardships experienced by workers, their dependent persons and vulnerable Nigerians had become increasingly difficult to bear.

The council’s decision followed a September 30 deadline it had given the federal government on three main demands: a reduction in the price of petrol, an immediate wage allocation and the start of negotiations for a new national minimum wage.

The JNPSNC had earlier said the issues should be addressed before or through President Tinubu’s Independence Day speech. He subsequently proceeded with the notification of the strike once the deadline had expired.

At the heart of the dispute is the JNPSNC’s demand for an immediate reduction in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly known as petrol, to ₦500 per litre.

The council argued that the high cost of petrol translated directly into higher transport costs and, consequently, increased prices of food and other essential goods and services.

In its earlier statement, the council had said petrol prices ranged from around ₦1,450 to ₦2,000 per litre, with prices reportedly reaching ₦2,500 in some locations.

He proposed government intervention to reduce the landed cost of petrol and support domestic refining. He also called for crude oil to be made available to Dangote refinery and modular refinery operators on suitable terms to stimulate domestic refining and help reduce the cost of petroleum products.

The second major demand is immediate wage recognition for Nigerian workers. JNPSNC wants the federal government to approve the payment as an emergency measure to protect workers and their workers dependent persons against the effects of the current cost of living crisis.

The Council also calls for the immediate establishment of a tripartite committee to start negotiations for a new national minimum wage before 2027.

The unions are demanding a minimum wage of no less than ₦500,000 under the next wage deal.

According to the Council, starting negotiations early would help prevent delays in negotiating, legislation and implementing the new wage when the current agreement becomes due.

The question comes as organized labor continues to argue that inflation and rising household expenses have significantly weakened workers’ purchasing power.

The strike will begin less than 24 hours after President Tinubu delivered his Independence Day speech to mark Nigeria’s 66th anniversary.

In the speech, the President acknowledged that the country’s economic journey has been difficult and said many Nigerians have experienced hardship. He, however, defended the economic reforms undertaken by his administration, arguing that they needed to be corrected long-standing weaknesses in the economy.

The action by the JNPSNC comes amid similar concerns raised by the Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC) in its Independence Day declaration.

The NLC called for an immediate reduction in the price of petrol, a nationwide wage premium and the start of negotiations for a new national minimum wage.

The job center said rising transport costs were impacting the prices of food, rent, school fees and other basic necessities, while inflation had eroded the real value of workers’ wages. He also linked current cost of living pressures to rising petrol prices following the removal of subsidies in 2023.

The NLC also called for the implementation of tax relief measures agreed with the federal government, a reduction in governance costs and greater transparency in the management of public resources.

He also called for the immediate establishment of a tripartite committee to negotiate a new wage standard for 2027, arguing that the ₦70,000 minimum wage had already been significantly eroded by inflation.

The JNPSNC comprises several unions representing public service workers, including the Civil Service Union of Nigeria, the Medical and Health Workers Union, the Senior Civil Servants Association of Nigeria and the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives.

Others are the Amalgamated Union of Public Bodies, Technical and Recreational Employees of the Civil Service; Nigerian Public Service Union, Reporters, Secretaries, Data Controllers and Allied Workers; National Union of Printing, Publishing and Paper Workers; and National Union of Agricultural and Related Employees.

The October 1 circular ordered national and state trade union structures to issue the strike notice and mobilize members to comply.

Post views:
169