Petrol Price Hike has intensified pressure on the Federal Government as public servants under the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC) reaffirmed their September 30, 2026 deadline and threatened a three-day warning strike from October 2.
The council, which represents eight public sector unions, is demanding that the Federal Government reduce the price of petrol to N500 per litre, approve a wage award for workers and immediately begin negotiations for a new national minimum wage expected to take effect in 2027.
The JNPSNC said public servants across the country had been mobilised for the planned strike if the government failed to address the demands before the deadline.
Petrol Price Hike: Workers Demand N500 Per Litre
The JNPSNC had written to President Bola Tinubu on September 21, outlining its concerns over the rising cost of petrol and the worsening economic pressure on workers and their dependants.
The council said the Federal Government should take urgent measures to reduce the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to N500 per litre.
According to the workers, one possible approach is the establishment of an intervention fund to address landing costs and support operators in the oil and gas sector.
The council also called on the government to ensure that crude oil is sold to the Dangote Refinery and modular refinery operators on appropriate terms to encourage increased domestic refining.
It argued that greater domestic refining could help reduce the cost of petroleum products and ease the impact of the petrol price hike on Nigerians.
The JNPSNC said petrol prices currently range from about N1,450 to N2,000 per litre, while prices in some locations outside major communities and cities can reportedly reach N2,500 per litre.
The council described the situation as placing severe pressure on workers, their dependants and the wider population.
It said the rising cost of fuel was making it increasingly difficult for Nigerians to maintain normal and dignified living conditions.
The workers are therefore asking the Federal Government to take immediate measures to cushion the effects of the rising cost of living.
Beyond the fuel price, the JNPSNC is demanding an immediate wage award for Nigerian workers.
The council said the wage award would help cushion the effects of prevailing economic conditions and provide relief to workers, their dependants and vulnerable Nigerians.
The union leaders also argued that addressing the demand could help public servants maintain their commitment and productivity within the public service.
The JNPSNC is also calling for the immediate establishment of a tripartite committee to begin negotiations for a new national minimum wage expected to become due in 2027.
The workers said the committee should be constituted early enough to prevent administrative or procedural delays that could affect the implementation of a new minimum wage after negotiations and legislative approval.
The council has previously demanded that negotiations should target not less than N500,000 as the new minimum wage.
The JNPSNC said its September 30 deadline remains firm.
According to the council, failure by the Federal Government to address the issues by the deadline would trigger a three-day warning strike beginning Friday, October 2, 2026.
The council also said the President’s Independence Day address should adequately address the concerns raised by Nigerian workers.
The unions warned that failure to respond to their demands would lead to industrial action as workers seek relief from the economic pressure associated with the petrol price hike, wage concerns and other living-cost challenges.
The JNPSNC comprises eight public sector unions, including the Nigerian Civil Service Union, Medical and Health Workers Union, Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, and Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Employees.
Others are the Nigeria Union of Public Service, Reportorial, Secretarial, Data Processors and Allied Workers, National Union of Printing, Publishing and Paper Products Workers and National Union of Agriculture and Allied Employees.
The council’s position is that urgent government intervention is necessary to address the economic difficulties facing public servants.
What Happens After the September 30 Deadline?
If the Federal Government does not address the unions’ demands by September 30, the JNPSNC says public servants will begin a three-day warning strike on October 2.
The immediate issues at the centre of the dispute are the petrol price hike, the demand for a wage award and the commencement of negotiations for a new national minimum wage.
The development places renewed attention on the government’s response to rising fuel costs and the wider economic pressures facing Nigerian workers.
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