Public Sector Workers Launch Three-Day Action Over Hardship, Pay Demands

Public service employees across Nigeria have commenced a three-day warning strike, beginning at midnight on October 2nd and scheduled to conclude on October 4th. This industrial action, spearheaded by the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council, is a direct response to the escalating economic hardship faced by citizens and a call for improved remuneration.

The Council formally instructed all federal, state, and local government workers to participate in the strike, which spans from Friday to Sunday. This directive was communicated via a circular issued on October 1st, bearing the signature of the Council’s National Secretary, Olowoyo Gbenga. The decision to strike follows the Federal Government's perceived failure to address a list of demands that had been presented to President Bola Tinubu on September 21st.

Among the key demands put forth by the discontented workers are a reduction in the price of petrol to N500 per litre, the immediate implementation of a wage award, and the initiation of negotiations for a new national minimum wage well in advance of 2027. The Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council had previously advocated for the prompt establishment of a tripartite committee to facilitate these wage discussions, emphasizing the importance of an early start to prevent delays in the eventual enactment of a new wage law.

In its most recent circular, the Council articulated the severity of the situation, stating, “The economic and mental hardships are becoming unbearable and frustrating.” It further galvanized public servants to join the action with the rallying cry: “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.”

This strike unfolds against a backdrop of increasing financial strain for Nigerians, who are currently contending with soaring costs of fuel, transportation, housing rent, and other essential living expenses.