Eight public sector unions under the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC) have confirmed they are holding firm on their September 30, 2026, ultimatum to the Federal Government, warning that a three-day warning strike will begin on Friday, October 2, if their demands are not met. The JNPSNC warned that the deadline remained "sacrosanct" and that Nigerian workers' concerns could no longer be ignored.
JNPSNC's Three Key Demands
The council's demands centre on three areas. First, it wants the Federal Government to cut the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit to N500 per litre, down from current prices it described as ranging between N1,450 and N2,000, and as high as N2,500 in areas outside major cities. The council said the government could achieve the reduction by setting up an intervention fund to lower landing costs and by ensuring that crude oil is sold to the Dangote Refinery and operators of modular refineries on terms that support domestic production.
"The current price of PMS, ranging from N1,450 to N2,000 and, in some locations outside major communities and cities, as high as N2,500 per litre, is unacceptable to Nigerian workers," the statement read. Second, the unions called on the government to immediately approve a wage award to ease the financial strain on workers and their families. The council said such a move would strengthen public servants' commitment and productivity.
Tripartite Committee for New Minimum Wage
Third, the JNPSNC asked the government to set up a tripartite committee to begin negotiations for a new national minimum wage, which the unions said should be no less than N500,000 and is expected to take effect from 2027. The council said early action was needed to prevent administrative delays from pushing back the implementation date once a figure is eventually agreed upon and signed into law.
The JNPSNC had written to President Tinubu on September 21, 2026, laying out the same demands before the current deadline was set. The council said it had since mobilised public servants across the country in preparation for the strike, should the government fail to respond adequately. The council expected President Bola Tinubu to address the three key demands during his Independence Day speech on September 30, and that failure to do so would trigger the industrial action.
Background and Member Unions
As reported by The Punch, the council's National Secretary and General Secretary of the Nigeria Civil Service Union, Gbenga Olowoyo, made this known in a statement issued on Tuesday, September 29, 2026. Member unions of the JNPSNC include the Nigerian Civil Service Union, the Medical and Health Workers Union, the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Employees, the Nigeria Union of Public Service Reportorial, Secretarial, Data Processors and Allied Workers, the National Union of Printing, Publishing and Paper Products Workers, and the National Union of Agriculture and Allied Employees.
Meanwhile, Legit.ng also reported that the NNPCL reduced petrol pump prices at select filling stations in Lagos and Abuja, with reductions of up to N25 per litre. The price cuts followed Dangote Refinery's decision to lower its petrol gantry price by N25 to N1,325 per litre. Despite the cuts, petrol prices across Nigeria remained uneven, with several NNPCL outlets yet to implement the new rates. The strike threat remains active as the ultimatum expires, with the JNPSNC poised to commence the three-day warning strike on October 2 if the government does not meet its demands.
