Federal, state and local government workers across Nigeria have commenced a three-day warning strike over unresolved demands concerning workers’ welfare and the rising cost of living.
The industrial action, which began on Friday, October 2, is being coordinated by the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC) and is expected to run until Sunday, October 4, 2026.
The council directed public servants across ministries, departments and agencies to fully comply with the strike, citing worsening economic hardship affecting workers and other Nigerians.
Among the unions involved are the Nigerian Civil Service Union, Medical and Health Workers Union, Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria and the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives.
The workers are demanding a reduction in the pump price of petrol to N500 per litre, an immediate wage award to cushion the impact of economic hardship, and the establishment of a tripartite committee to begin negotiations for a new national minimum wage ahead of 2027.
The JNPSNC had given the Federal Government a September 30 deadline to address its demands. However, the council said the issues were not adequately addressed, prompting the commencement of the warning strike.
The action is intended to press the government to respond to the unions’ demands and address concerns over workers’ purchasing power and welfare.
