Public service council announces three-day warning strike over hardship

The Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council has declared a three-day warning strike over what it described as worsening economic and mental hardship affecting workers and their dependants. The council directed its national and state leaders to mobilise public servants for the action, which is scheduled to begin at midnight on Friday, October 2, and end on Sunday, October 4, 2026. The instruction was contained in a circular dated October 1 and signed by the council’s National Secretary, Olowoyo Gbenga.

It called on workers in federal, state and local government services to participate. According to the circular, the decision followed what the council described as the Federal Government’s failure to address requests submitted to President Bola Tinubu in a September 21 letter. The council said the economic and mental pressures facing workers had become unbearable and frustrating.

The planned action follows earlier demands for measures to cushion the effects of rising living costs. These included reducing the petrol pump price to N500 per litre, approving an immediate wage award and beginning negotiations for a new national minimum wage ahead of 2027. The council said workers and their dependants were suffering amid increases in the prices of essential goods, transport and other household expenses.

It urged its leaders to begin mobilisation and disseminate the strike notice throughout the public service. The warning strike is intended to draw attention to the council’s concerns and press the government to respond to its demands. The supplied material does not state whether the government had issued a response before the announced start time.

The council maintained that the strike would proceed as scheduled and expressed confidence in the outcome of the industrial action.