Reloaded News Desk
The three-day warning strike by public sector workers began across Nigeria on Friday, but the first day of the action has produced a mixed picture, with some government offices shut and services withdrawn while other establishments continued operating.
The Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC) directed workers in the federal, state and local government services to withdraw their services from October 2 to 4 after the Federal Government failed to address demands centred on petrol prices, workers’ welfare and preparations for a new national minimum wage.
But reports from different parts of the country show that the directive has not translated into a uniform shutdown of the public service.
Mixed Compliance Across States
In Ondo State, the state Joint Negotiating Council put compliance at 50 per cent.
A visit to the Federal Secretariat in Akure found most offices locked, with only a few workers present. Some of those seen at the complex said they were not performing official duties.
The Ondo State Civil Service Commission also recorded substantial closure, with workers declining to attend to members of the public.
However, several state ministries remained open, with workers seen at their duty posts. Public schools visited in parts of Akure also remained open and academic activities continued.
The Ondo JNC chairman, Oluwasegun Ajiboye, said a committee had been constituted to monitor compliance across the state.
In Oyo State, the situation was also described as partial compliance, indicating that the national directive has not resulted in a complete withdrawal of services across all government establishments.
In the Federal Capital Territory, however, civil servants backed the action. Workers cited the rising cost of food, transportation and accommodation among the pressures affecting their families.
The picture was different in Rivers State, where some federal government workers told reporters they had not received formal communication from their union leaders about the strike.
Normal activities were still taking place at the Federal Secretariat Complex in Port Harcourt when reporters visited on Friday. One worker said employees were only hearing about the strike through informal channels.
The Rivers State Secretariat itself could not provide a useful comparison because the complex is undergoing renovation and some junior civil servants had previously been directed to work from home.
The reports from these locations show that “nationwide strike” does not necessarily mean “every government office nationwide is closed.”
The level of compliance varies by state, establishment and, in some cases, individual union mobilisation.
Workers Gave Reasons For The Strike
The warning strike followed a September 21 letter by the JNPSNC to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The unions demanded that the Federal Government take urgent steps to reduce the pump price of petrol to ₦500 per litre, approve an immediate wage award for workers and establish a tripartite committee to begin negotiations for a new national minimum wage ahead of 2027.
The council argued that rising fuel, transport and living costs were eroding workers’ purchasing power and placing increasing pressure on their families.
The demand for a new minimum wage is particularly significant because the unions want the preparatory process to begin before the existing wage framework becomes due for replacement in 2027.
They are seeking a new national minimum wage of not less than ₦500,000, alongside the immediate wage award they say is required to cushion workers against current economic pressures.
The unions had given the Federal Government until September 30 to address the issues.
They also specifically expected President Tinubu’s October 1 Independence Day address to respond to their concerns.
The President’s speech acknowledged the economic pressures Nigerians are experiencing and outlined measures his administration says are intended to reduce the cost of living and expand economic activity.
However, he did not announce the specific ₦500 petrol price demanded by the JNPSNC or the immediate wage award requested by the unions.
The council subsequently activated the warning strike scheduled for October 2 to 4.
For now, the action is officially a three-day warning strike, ending on Sunday, October 4.
Its significance will therefore depend on what happens during and immediately after the three-day period.
The immediate question is whether the Federal Government and the unions will return to negotiations with concrete proposals on petrol prices, wage relief and the 2027 minimum wage process.
The other question is whether the uneven compliance recorded on the first day will widen or narrow as union officials continue to monitor participation.
The JNPSNC had instructed its affiliates to ensure total compliance, but the first-day reports show that implementation has been uneven.
In Ondo, the unions reported 50 per cent compliance. In Oyo, reports indicated partial compliance. Abuja workers backed the action, while some federal workers in Rivers said they had not received formal notification.
That means the industrial action is currently producing a patchwork of shutdowns rather than a uniformly closed public service.
For citizens who depend on government offices for documents, administrative approvals, public-sector services and other official transactions, the practical impact will depend on the establishment involved.
The first day has already demonstrated that the experience is different from one location to another.
The broader dispute, however, is centred on a question that goes beyond the three-day action; how should government respond to the erosion of workers’ purchasing power as fuel, transportation and household costs remain high?
The workers want immediate relief through a wage award, a lower petrol price and early negotiations for the next national minimum wage.
The Federal Government’s response to those demands will determine whether the October action remains a three-day warning or becomes the beginning of a longer industrial dispute.
For now, October 4 remains the scheduled end of the warning strike.
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