By Stephen Simon
Public sector workers have threatened to commence a three-day warning strike from Friday, October 2, if the Federal Government fails to address their demands over petrol prices, wage awards and negotiations for a new national minimum wage.
The Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council, JNPSNC, said its September 30 deadline to the Federal Government remained sacrosanct, warning that public servants nationwide would begin the strike if its demands were not addressed by today.
The council, comprising eight public sector unions, is demanding a reduction of petrol prices to ₦500 per litre, an immediate wage award for workers and the commencement of negotiations for a new national minimum wage expected to take effect in 2027.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the council said the current petrol price, which it put at between ₦1,450 and ₦2,000 per litre in many locations and as high as ₦2,500 in some areas, had placed severe pressure on workers and their dependants.
The workers also called on the Federal Government to establish a tripartite committee to commence negotiations for the new minimum wage, arguing that early action was necessary to avoid administrative delays when the current wage arrangement becomes due for review.
The council said it expected President Bola Tinubu’s Independence Day address to adequately address the concerns raised by workers. It warned that failure to meet the demands would trigger the proposed three-day warning strike beginning Friday.
The threatened industrial action comes as the Federal Government prepares for the October 1 Independence anniversary and amid continuing concerns over the cost of living, fuel prices and workers’ purchasing power.
