The Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC) has announced a three-day warning strike for public service workers across all tiers of government, scheduled to run from midnight on Friday, October 2, to Sunday, October 4, 2026. The industrial action follows the Federal Government's alleged failure to respond to demands submitted to President Bola Tinubu on September 21, 2026.
The directive came through a circular dated October 1, 2026, signed by JNPSNC National Secretary Olowoyo Gbenga, who instructed national and state leadership to begin mobilising workers immediately and ensure the notice reached employees across the country. The council cited worsening economic and mental hardship on workers and their families as the reason for the strike.
Strike Triggered by Government Inaction
The council said the strike was triggered by the Federal Government's failure to act on demands it submitted in a letter to President Bola Tinubu on September 21, 2026, as reported by Punch. The circular read: "Consequent upon the above, the strike shall start with effect from midnight of Friday, 2nd October, 2026, to Sunday, October 4th, 2026."
The JNPSNC called on public servants across federal, state, and local government levels to join the action, framing it as a collective response to hardship affecting not just workers but also their dependants and vulnerable Nigerians. The circular stated: "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, most especially, all workers, their dependants, vulnerable and hapless Nigerians are groaning terribly under the present economic hardship."
Key Demands Submitted to Government
Ahead of the strike, the JNPSNC presented the Federal Government with a set of demands aimed at easing financial pressure on workers, according to Vanguard. These included a reduction in petrol pump prices to N500 per litre, the immediate approval of a wage award, and the formation of a tripartite committee to begin negotiations for a new national minimum wage before 2027.
The demands reflect broader concerns about rising food prices, higher transportation costs, and the declining purchasing power of Nigerian workers. The council added that conditions had deteriorated sharply, saying "the economic and mental hardships are becoming unbearable and frustrating."
Mobilisation and Wider Context
The council closed its circular with a rallying call to members, urging them to spread the strike notice widely. "Please, disseminate the information!!! Surely, there is victory for us!!!" it added. As of the time the circular was issued, the JNPSNC said the strike would proceed as planned, with participation expected from public servants at all three tiers of government.
In a related development, Legit.ng previously reported that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) threatened to resume its suspended nationwide strike if the federal government and several state governments do not urgently address a list of unresolved demands affecting university lecturers. ASUU president Christopher Piwuna issued the warning in a statement released in the early hours of Friday, following an emergency session of the union's National Executive Council at the University of Abuja. The union said the strike could be reactivated "without any further notice."
