The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has backed the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC), which has said public servants will begin a three-day warning strike on Friday, 2 October 2026, if the Federal Government does not act on its demands.
The JNPSNC, made up of eight public sector unions, wants the pump price of petrol cut to N500 per litre, a wage award for workers and a tripartite committee to begin negotiations on the national minimum wage due in 2027. It said the President's Independence Day broadcast on 1 October should address the issues.
NLC Assistant General Secretary, Chris Onyeka, told Vanguard that the Congress supports the unions, most of which are its affiliates. He said the dispute "may snowball into a national strike involving all workers" if the demands are not met quickly.
Onyeka said the Federal Government has not replied to the NLC's letter asking for a National Minimum Wage Negotiation Committee. He added that inflation had reduced the value of the N70,000 minimum wage before its implementation began.
In a statement on Tuesday, 29 September, the JNPSNC's National Secretary, Gbenga Olowoyo, who is also General Secretary of the Nigeria Civil Service Union, said the 30 September deadline stands. The council wrote to President Bola Tinubu on 21 September setting out the demands.
On fuel, the council proposed an intervention fund to cover landing costs and support oil and gas operators. It also asked the Federal Government to ensure that crude is sold to the Dangote Refinery and modular refineries on appropriate terms to raise domestic refining. It said petrol sells at between N1,450 and N2,000 per litre, and at up to N2,500 in some locations outside major cities.
Efforts to reach officials of the Federal Ministry of Labour were unsuccessful. A ministry source said the appropriate authorities are handling the matter but did not speak for the ministry.