Civil servants under the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC), Trade Union Side, have appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the worsening cost-of-living pressures facing workers.
In a letter to the President, the workers called for an immediate reduction and stabilisation of petrol prices at ₦500 per litre, an emergency Wage Award and an upward review of salaries and allowances across the public service.
They also asked the Federal Government to establish a committee to begin negotiations for a new National Minimum Wage ahead of January 2027.
The JNPSNC said the recent increase in petrol prices, which it said had reached ₦1,430 per litre or more in some locations, had further increased the financial pressure on workers and households.
The workers gave the Federal Government until Wednesday, September 30, 2026, to respond to their demands, warning that the continued rise in living costs was creating growing tension among workers and the wider population.
The council also criticised the removal of the petrol subsidy, saying it had contributed to higher transportation costs and increases in the prices of essential goods and services.
The workers argued that government palliatives, including food distributions, were not a sustainable response to the underlying economic pressures.
Instead, they called for measures that would directly reduce the cost of living, particularly through lower and more stable petrol prices.
According to the JNPSNC, reducing petrol to ₦500 per litre would have wider effects across the economy by lowering transportation and production costs and easing pressure on household budgets.
The workers therefore urged the Federal Government to address their demands before the September 30 deadline and begin discussions on longer-term measures to improve workers’ purchasing power and welfare.
