The Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC), representing civil servants in Nigeria, has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reduce the price of petrol to N500 per litre. The council stated that the current price of N1,430 per litre has worsened economic difficulties for workers and Nigerians. They also demanded an immediate wage award and upward review of salaries and allowances for public servants across all levels of government.
The JNPSNC argued that the continuous increase in fuel prices since the removal of petrol subsidy has triggered a chain of increases in transportation, food, housing, healthcare, education, and other essential expenses. The council called on the Federal Government to introduce a "fuel intervention fund" to stabilise petrol prices and make it affordable for ordinary Nigerians. They suggested that the government should not be deterred by the term "subsidy" if it could reduce hardship for citizens.
The council proposed that stabilising petrol prices would have a wider effect on the economy due to fuel's direct connection with transportation, food distribution, production, and other economic activities. They endorsed the Nigeria Labour Congress's (NLC) call for the government to sell sufficient crude oil in naira to local refineries and expand national petroleum storage capacity. These measures, they believe, would create jobs, generate economic value, and address security challenges.
Beyond the demand for cheaper petrol, the civil servants asked President Tinubu to approve an immediate wage award and upward review of salaries and allowances for public servants. The council stated that the rising cost of living had significantly eroded workers' salaries, leaving many struggling to meet basic financial obligations. They urged the President to direct the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) to commence discussions with relevant stakeholders on the proposed wage award and salary review.
The JNPSNC further called for the immediate constitution of a committee to commence negotiations for the 2027 National Minimum Wage. They proposed a minimum monthly salary of N500,000 for an officer on Grade Level 01 Step 1, describing it as necessary to reflect prevailing economic realities. The council warned that delayed negotiations had historically resulted in delays in implementation and urged the government to commence discussions early.
The council rejected reliance on the distribution of food items as the principal response to economic hardship, arguing that such measures were unsustainable and inaccessible to the majority of Nigerians. Instead, they urged the government to adopt interventions that would benefit workers and other Nigerians through lower transportation and production costs. Improving workers' welfare, they believe, is not only an economic issue but also necessary for effective public service delivery.
The JNPSNC also demanded harmonised wages across Ministries, Departments and Agencies, while urging states and local governments to adopt similar measures. They proposed periodic cost-of-living adjustments to salaries and allowances, arguing that wages should be reviewed regularly in line with inflation to prevent workers' purchasing power from being eroded between wage-review cycles.
Key points
- The JNPSNC demands reduction in fuel price to N500/litre to cushion economic hardship.
- The council calls for an immediate wage award and upward review of salaries and allowances for public servants.
- The JNPSNC proposes a minimum monthly salary of N500,000 for an officer on Grade Level 01 Step 1.
