Civil servants under the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC), Trade Union Side, have asked President Bola Tinubu to take urgent measures to address the rising cost of living affecting workers and their families.
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In a letter sent to the President at the State House in Abuja, the workers called for petrol to be made available at N500 per litre, an immediate wage award and an upward review of salaries and allowances across the public service.
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They also called for the immediate formation of a committee to begin negotiations for a new National Minimum Wage ahead of January 2027.
The council said the recent rise in petrol prices to about N1,430 per litre or higher in some areas had increased the financial pressure on workers and contributed to higher costs of transportation, food, housing, healthcare and other basic needs.
The workers gave the Federal Government until September 30, 2026, to respond to their demands, warning that the worsening economic conditions were creating growing tension among workers and the wider population.
The JNPSNC linked the increase in the cost of living to the removal of fuel subsidy and its effects on the prices of goods and services. It argued that food palliatives were not sufficient to address the wider economic challenges and called for measures that would benefit workers and other Nigerians more broadly.
The council proposed the establishment of an intervention fund for the oil sector to help reduce petrol prices and eventually bring the pump price down to N500 per litre.
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It also backed proposals attributed to Nigeria Labour Congress President Joe Ajaero, including increased support for domestic refineries, the sale of crude oil to local refineries in naira and expansion of national petroleum storage capacity.
On workers’ remuneration, the council demanded an immediate wage award covering Federal, State and Local Government employees, alongside a review of salaries and allowances.
It said the wage award should serve as an interim measure before the implementation of a new National Minimum Wage expected from January 2027.
The council proposed that the minimum salary for an officer on Grade Level 01, Step 1, should be N500,000 per month under the proposed 2027 salary structure.
It also called for harmonised wages across Ministries, Departments and Agencies, as well as periodic salary and allowance reviews linked to inflation. Other welfare measures proposed included subsidised transportation and affordable housing for civil servants.
According to the council, rising inflation and the cost of essential services have reduced the purchasing power of workers and affected their morale and productivity.
The JNPSNC urged the President to direct the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission to begin discussions with the NLC, Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, JNPSNC and other stakeholders on the proposed wage award and salary adjustments.
The workers also appealed to Tinubu to address their concerns in his Independence Day broadcast, saying prompt action was needed to ease the economic pressure facing public servants and their dependants.
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