The Civil servants under the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council, Trade Union Side, have called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reduce the price of petrol to N500 per litre as part of measures to ease the economic hardship facing workers and their families.
The council also demanded the immediate payment of a fresh Wage Award and an upward review of salaries and allowances for public servants at the federal, state and local government levels.
The demands were contained in a letter to President Tinubu signed by the National Secretary of the JNPSNC, Comrade Olowoyo Gbenga.
The workers said the recent increase in petrol prices, which they said had reached N1,430 per litre or more in some areas, had further increased the financial pressure on workers and other Nigerians.
According to the council, successive increases in fuel prices since the removal of petrol subsidy had contributed to higher transportation costs and triggered increases in the prices of food, housing, healthcare, education and other essential services.
The JNPSNC therefore called on the Federal Government to establish a “fuel intervention fund” to help stabilise petrol prices and make the commodity more affordable.
It said the government should not be discouraged by the use of the word subsidy if such an intervention could reduce the hardship being experienced by citizens.
“The Federal Government should provide intervention that will trickle down to all Nigerians by making fuel available with affordable amount as low as N500,” the council stated.
The workers argued that stabilising petrol prices would have a wider impact on the economy because of the role of fuel in transportation, food distribution, production and other economic activities.
The council also supported the Nigeria Labour Congress’ proposals for protecting Nigerians from fluctuations in the international oil market.
It backed the call for the Federal Government to supply sufficient crude oil in naira to local refineries and increase the country’s petroleum storage capacity.
The council said such measures could support local production, create employment opportunities and contribute to addressing economic and security challenges.
Wage award, salary review
The JNPSNC also urged President Tinubu to approve an immediate Wage Award and review the salaries and allowances of public servants.
It said the rising cost of living had reduced the purchasing power of workers and affected their ability to meet basic financial responsibilities.
“Many workers are now struggling to meet basic financial obligations, which has inevitably affected the morale, motivation, and overall productivity within the Public Service,” the council said.
It consequently called on the President to direct the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission to begin discussions with the NLC, Trade Union Congress, JNPSNC and other relevant stakeholders on the proposed Wage Award and salary review.
According to the council, the Wage Award should be implemented immediately as a temporary measure pending a substantive review of the National Minimum Wage.
Workers propose N500,000 minimum salary
The civil servants also called for the immediate constitution of a committee to begin negotiations for the 2027 National Minimum Wage.
They proposed N500,000 as the minimum monthly salary for an officer on Grade Level 01 Step 1, saying the figure would better reflect current economic conditions.
The council urged the government to begin negotiations early enough for the new wage to take effect from January 2027.
It also called for harmonised wages across Ministries, Departments and Agencies, while urging state and local governments to adopt similar measures.
The workers further proposed regular cost-of-living adjustments to salaries and allowances, arguing that wages should be reviewed periodically in line with inflation to prevent workers’ purchasing power from declining between wage-review cycles.
They also called for subsidised transportation and affordable housing schemes for public servants.
Workers reject food palliatives
The JNPSNC criticised the reliance on food palliatives as the main response to the economic hardship, describing such interventions as temporary and insufficient.
It argued that the government should instead implement measures capable of reducing transportation and production costs and improving the purchasing power of workers and other citizens.
The council said improving workers’ welfare was necessary not only to address economic hardship but also to maintain industrial harmony and improve public service delivery.
It stated that an upward review of public servants’ salaries and allowances was necessary to sustain the workforce and improve productivity.
Workers set September 30 deadline
The JNPSNC urged President Tinubu to respond to its demands on or before September 30, 2026, warning that urgent action was needed to ease the growing tension among workers.
The council also expressed hope that the President would address some of its concerns in his Independence Day broadcast.
It maintained that public servants remained essential to the functioning of government and national development, and called for their welfare to receive greater attention amid the prevailing economic challenges.
