Just In: Workers Declare 3-Day Warning Strike as Details Emerge
- The Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council ordered its leaders to mobilise workers for a three-day warning strike across all tiers of government
- The industrial action follows the Federal Government's alleged failure to act on demands submitted to President Bola Tinubu on September 21, 2026
- The council's demands include a petrol price cut to N500 per litre, an immediate wage award, and a new national minimum wage negotiation
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Public service workers under the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC) have announced a three-day warning strike, set to run from midnight on Friday, October 2, to Sunday, October 4, 2026, citing worsening economic and mental hardship on workers and their families.
The directive came through a circular dated October 1, 2026, and signed by JNPSNC National Secretary Olowoyo Gbenga, who instructed national and state leadership to begin mobilising workers immediately and ensure the notice reached employees across the country.
Source: UGC
The council said the strike was triggered by the Federal Government's failure to respond to demands it submitted in a letter to President Bola Tinubu on September 21, 2026, Punch reported.
"Consequent upon the above, the strike shall start with effect from midnight of Friday, 2nd October, 2026, to Sunday, October 4th, 2026," the circular read.
Why workers are walking out
The JNPSNC called on public servants across federal, state, and local government levels to join the action, framing it as a collective response to hardship affecting not just workers but also their dependants and vulnerable Nigerians.
"All public servants in the services of Federal, State and Local Governments are to join the warning strike because an injury to one is an injury to all, most especially, all workers, their dependants, vulnerable and hapless Nigerians are groaning terribly under the present economic hardship," the circular stated.
The council added that conditions had deteriorated sharply, saying "the economic and mental hardships are becoming unbearable and frustrating."
Key demands submitted to government
Ahead of the strike, the JNPSNC had presented the Federal Government with a set of demands aimed at easing the financial pressure on workers, Vanguard reported.
These included a reduction in petrol pump prices to N500 per litre, the immediate approval of a wage award, and the formation of a tripartite committee to begin negotiations for a new national minimum wage before 2027.
The demands reflect broader concerns about rising food prices, higher transportation costs, and the declining purchasing power of Nigerian workers.
The council closed its circular with a rallying call to members, urging them to spread the strike notice widely.
"Please, disseminate the information!!! Surely, there is victory for us!!!" it added.
As of the time the circular was issued, the JNPSNC said the strike would proceed as planned, with participation expected from public servants at all three tiers of government.
ASUU gives FG, states ultimatum
Previously, Legit.ng reported that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) threatened to resume its suspended nationwide strike if the federal government and several state governments do not urgently address a list of unresolved demands affecting university lecturers.
ASUU president Christopher Piwuna issued the warning in a statement released in the early hours of Friday, following an emergency session of the union's National Executive Council at the University of Abuja. The union said the strike could be reactivated "without any further notice."
Source: Legit.ng
