By Daily Review Online
Public service workers under the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC) have commenced a three-day warning strike over what the council described as worsening economic and mental hardship affecting workers and their dependants.
The industrial action is scheduled to run from midnight on Friday, October 2, to Sunday, October 4, 2026.
The council directed its national and state leaders to mobilise workers across the country for the strike.
The directive was contained in a circular dated October 1 and signed by the National Secretary of the JNPSNC, Olowoyo Gbenga.
According to the council, the decision followed the Federal Government’s alleged failure to respond to demands submitted to President Bola Tinubu in a letter dated September 21, 2026.
The council directed public servants in the federal, state and local government services to participate in the warning strike.
It said the action was aimed at drawing attention to the economic difficulties confronting workers, their dependants and vulnerable Nigerians.
The council described the prevailing situation as increasingly difficult, saying economic and mental hardships had become “unbearable and frustrating.”
Workers’ Demands
The warning strike follows earlier demands by the JNPSNC for measures to cushion the impact of rising living costs.
Among its demands are a reduction in the pump price of petrol to ₦500 per litre, an immediate wage award for workers and the commencement of negotiations for a new national minimum wage ahead of 2027.
The council also called for the establishment of a tripartite committee to negotiate a new national minimum wage.
The demands come amid concerns over the rising prices of essential goods, transportation and other household expenses, which have affected the purchasing power of workers.
In the October 1 circular, the council urged its leaders to commence immediate mobilisation for the industrial action.
“The time to act and mobilise workers for the three-day warning strike is now,” the council stated.
The JNPSNC expressed confidence in the outcome of the action and urged its members to disseminate the strike notice across the various public service institutions.
As of the time of the report, the council maintained that the strike would proceed as scheduled, with public servants across the three tiers of government expected to participate.
Efforts to obtain a reaction from the Federal Ministry of Labour were unsuccessful as of press time.