Public service workers across Nigeria have commenced a three-day warning strike over what labour leaders describe as worsening economic and mental hardship affecting workers and their families.
The industrial action, organised by the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC), began at midnight on Friday, October 2, and is scheduled to run until Sunday, October 4, 2026.
The council directed public servants across the federal, state and local government services to participate in the strike. According to a circular dated October 1 and signed by the council’s National Secretary, OlowÑoyo Gbenga, the decision followed what the council described as the Federal Government’s failure to respond to demands earlier submitted to President Bola Tinubu.
What are the workers demanding? The warning strike is linked to demands aimed at reducing the pressure of rising living costs on Nigerian workers.
Among the requests reportedly made by the council are a reduction in the pump price of petrol to ₦500 per litre, an immediate wage award for workers and the establishment of a tripartite committee to begin negotiations for a new national minimum wage ahead of 2027.
The council said the economic situation had become increasingly difficult for workers, their dependants and other vulnerable Nigerians. It also called on its leaders to mobilise workers across the country for the three-day action.
Strike to affect three tiers of government The JNPSNC instructed workers in the federal, state and local government services to join the warning strike.
The action is expected to affect public-sector operations during the three-day period, although the extent of disruption may vary across government institutions. The council maintained that the strike would proceed as scheduled, while efforts to obtain a reaction from the Ministry of Labour had not yielded a response as of the time of the report.
The warning strike comes amid continuing concerns over the rising cost of essential goods, transportation and other houses affected.