Public servants begin three-day nationwide warning strike Friday

Public servants at the federal, state and local government levels are set to embark on a three-day nationwide warning strike from Friday, October 2, 2026, following unresolved demands by the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC).

The council directed workers to stop work from midnight on Friday until Sunday, October 4, 2026.

The directive was contained in a circular issued on Thursday and signed by the council’s National Secretary, Comrade Olowoyo Gbenga.

The council said the decision followed the Federal Government’s failure to respond satisfactorily to demands it submitted to President Bola Tinubu in a letter dated September 21.

The workers are demanding, among other measures, a reduction and stabilisation of petrol prices at N500 per litre, payment of wage awards to public servants across the three tiers of government, and an upward adjustment of salaries and allowances.

They are also calling for the immediate establishment of a committee to commence negotiations for a new national minimum wage before January 2027.

The council had earlier informed the Presidency that the government’s response to the demands would determine whether the proposed warning strike would proceed.

According to the latest circular, the absence of a response has now prompted the council to activate the industrial action.

The council called on public servants across federal, state and local government institutions to participate in the strike, citing the rising cost of living and growing economic pressure on workers and their families.

It said the difficult conditions were also affecting vulnerable Nigerians and required collective action by workers.

The circular stated that the strike would run from midnight on Friday, October 2, through Sunday, October 4.

The council also urged workers to mobilise fully for the action, maintaining that the challenges confronting public servants required a coordinated response.