Workers threaten three-day strike over petrol price, wage award

Public servants under the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC) have threatened to embark on a three-day warning strike from Friday if the Federal Government fails to reduce the price of petrol to N500 per litre and approve a new wage award.

The council issued the warning in a statement by its national secretary, Gbenga Olowoyo, who is also the general secretary of the Nigeria Civil Service Union.

Olowoyo said the September 30 ultimatum earlier issued to the Federal Government to address the rising cost of petrol and commence negotiations for a new national minimum wage remained sacrosanct.

He said workers had been mobilised for industrial action should President Bola Tinubu fail to announce a significant reduction in petrol prices and a new national minimum wage in his Independence Day address.

“The three critical issues requiring urgent attention are as follows: reduction of fuel price to N500 per litre. The Federal Government should take urgent steps to bring down the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to N500 per litre,” the statement read.

The council also demanded an urgent wage award for Nigerian workers to cushion the impact of the prevailing economic hardship on workers, their dependants and vulnerable Nigerians.

It said the President’s Independence Day address should adequately address the issues.

The council warned that failure by the Federal Government to act on the demands by September 30 would leave workers with no option but to commence a three-day warning strike from October 2.

Olowoyo said the council had written to Tinubu on September 21, outlining the