Public Workers Begin Nationwide Strike Over Rising Hardship
Public servants across Nigeria have commenced a three-day warning strike following a directive by the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC) over the rising cost of living and unresolved demands from the Federal Government.
The industrial action began on Friday, October 2, and is expected to end on Sunday, October 4, with workers in federal, state and local government establishments directed to participate.
The council said the decision followed the government’s failure to respond to demands it had presented to President Bola Tinubu over the economic difficulties confronting workers.
In a circular dated October 1 and signed by the council’s National Secretary, Olowoyo Gbenga, the JNPSNC directed public servants across the three tiers of government to join the warning strike.
The unions are demanding a reduction in the price of petrol to N500 per litre, a wage award for workers and the commencement of negotiations for a new national minimum wage ahead of 2027.
The council had written to the President on September 21, requesting urgent measures to ease the financial pressure on workers and address the rising cost of essential goods and services.
According to the council, the failure to receive a satisfactory response to the demands prompted the decision to proceed with the industrial action.
The strike is expected to affect government offices and other public establishments as workers observe the directive across the country.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has also backed the demands of the public service unions, calling for urgent measures to protect workers from the impact of rising living costs.
NLC President Joe Ajaero, in the congress’s Independence Day message, said workers were struggling with increasing expenses for transportation, food, rent, education and other basic necessities.
The labour centre called for an immediate reduction in petrol prices and a nationwide wage award covering workers at the federal, state and local government levels.
It also demanded the commencement of negotiations for a new national minimum wage, arguing that rising prices had significantly weakened the purchasing power of workers.
The NLC said petrol was selling at about N1,430 per litre or higher in major cities, with prices reportedly exceeding that level in some remote areas.
The congress said higher fuel prices had increased transportation costs and contributed to rising prices across several areas of the economy.
It urged the Federal Government to address the effect of fuel prices on transportation and prevent the continued transfer of those costs to consumers.
The NLC also called for the implementation of tax relief measures contained in its October 2023 agreement with the Federal Government.
The labour centre demanded a reduction in the cost of governance, greater transparency in public spending and increased investment in roads, hospitals, schools and other public infrastructure.
It also questioned whether the savings from the removal of the petrol subsidy had translated sufficiently into improved infrastructure and social services.
The congress further called for increased investment in domestic refining capacity to reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported petroleum products.
On employment, the NLC raised concerns about youth unemployment and migration, urging the government to create more opportunities for young Nigerians and improve the economic conditions that influence their decisions to leave the country.
The labour centre also linked insecurity with the wider economic challenges, noting its effects on farming, education, healthcare and other essential sectors.
It argued that insecurity, poverty, unemployment and inequality were interconnected problems requiring broader economic and social interventions.
With the 2027 general elections approaching, the NLC also called for workers to be allowed to make independent political choices and cautioned against electoral manipulation, voter intimidation and rhetoric capable of aggravating ethnic or religious tensions.
The three-day warning strike has brought renewed attention to the demands for improved wages, lower living costs and stronger social protection for workers across Nigeria.
