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Public service workers have threatened to shut down government operations nationwide if the Federal Government fails to address their demands within the next two weeks.
The National Secretary of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC), Gbenga Olowoyo, issued the warning after public sector unions ended a three-day warning strike aimed at forcing the government to respond to growing concerns over fuel prices, workers’ welfare and the proposed new minimum wage.
The unions embarked on the warning strike from October 2 to 4 after the government failed to act on demands submitted to President Bola Tinubu on September 21. The demands included a reduction in petrol prices, improved salaries and allowances, and the immediate constitution of a tripartite committee to begin negotiations on a new minimum wage.
Speaking on Arise News on Monday, Olowoyo said the warning strike had achieved its immediate objective, claiming about 65 per cent compliance across the country. He said the next phase would be more extensive if the government failed to respond.
“The essence of that strike—because it was a warning strike—was to create awareness and provoke reactions from certain quarters, and it achieved its purpose. Even reports now show that the strike had 65% compliance, across all states of the federation,” he said.
Olowoyo said the workers were disappointed that Tinubu’s Independence Day address did not directly address their demands, adding that the council had therefore decided to prepare for a total strike.
“We are receiving feelers. The body language of the government shows that they may invite us, but we have not received any official invitation. The feeler is that they are putting things together. We are looking up to that, but if nothing is done within one to two weeks’ time, then we go on a total strike,” he said.
He listed the workers’ demands as a drastic reduction in petrol prices, a review of salaries and allowances, and the immediate establishment of a tripartite committee to negotiate the next minimum wage.
Olowoyo said the council was proposing a petrol price of ₦200 per litre, arguing that the current cost of fuel was worsening the financial pressure on workers. He also called for government intervention to cushion the impact of fuel costs while negotiations on wages and the minimum wage take place.
On the proposed wage review, he said the eventual figure should be determined through a tripartite process that would consider inflation, living costs and other economic variables rather than being imposed by any single party.
He also criticised Nigeria’s dependence on the dollar, arguing that the use of foreign currency for crude transactions, imports and several production inputs continued to put pressure on the naira and increase the cost of goods and services.
The latest threat comes after the JNPSNC had earlier demanded that petrol prices be reduced to ₦500 per litre, alongside an immediate wage award and negotiations for a new minimum wage ahead of 2027.
