Public Sector Workers Begin Three-Day Warning Strike Amid Mixed Compliance

The three-day warning strike declared by public sector unions across Nigeria has begun with mixed levels of compliance, as workers in some states stayed away from their offices while others reported for duty.

The strike, organised under the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC), is aimed at protesting worsening economic hardship and pressing the Federal Government to take measures to ease the burden on workers and other Nigerians.

Among the unions’ major demands is a reduction in the pump price of petrol to ₦500 per litre from the prevailing range of about ₦1,400 to ₦2,000, depending on location. They are also demanding an immediate wage award and the commencement of negotiations for a new national minimum wage ahead of the expiration of the current arrangement in 2027.

The warning strike followed the failure of the Federal Government to address demands contained in a September 21 letter sent by the JNPSNC to President Bola Tinubu. The unions said the action was necessary because of the economic difficulties confronting workers and vulnerable Nigerians.

In Abuja, however, the strike recorded limited impact at the Federal Secretariat, where several ministries and government offices remained open. Workers were seen at their duty posts, although attendance was lower than usual.

The situation varied across the states. Vanguard reported substantial compliance in Akwa Ibom, Ondo, Osun, Oyo and Ogun, while Gombe and some other northern states recorded partial compliance. Ondo’s Joint Negotiating Council put compliance in the state at about 50 per cent, while the national union leadership claimed that compliance across the country was above 65 per cent.

The timing of the action, coming immediately after the Independence Day public holiday and on a Friday, was cited by some workers and union officials as one factor affecting participation.

The three-day warning strike is scheduled to run from Friday, October 2, to Sunday, October 4, 2026. The unions have indicated that further action could follow if their demands are not addressed.

Meanwhile, teaching and non-teaching staff of government-owned universities in Lagos State have announced an indefinite strike over unresolved demands and what they described as breaches of agreements. The affected institutions include Lagos State University, Lagos State University of Education, Lagos State University of Science and Technology and Lagos State University College of Medicine.