Workers in Rivers state, Nigeria, have continued with their normal official duties despite a nationwide three-day warning strike announced by the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council. The strike, which was called in response to growing economic difficulties faced by workers and other Nigerians, appears to have had little effect on activities at the Federal Secretariat Complex in Port Harcourt. Government workers were seen carrying out their regular activities on Friday, with offices remaining open.
According to workers at the Federal Secretariat, the reason for their continued attendance at work was the lack of formal directive from their union leaders to withdraw their services. A civil servant at the secretariat said that the situation was largely due to the absence of any formal communication from the relevant union leadership in the state. The worker, who spoke on condition of anonymity, stated that they were only hearing rumors about the warning strike.
The warning strike was called by the JNPSNC over concerns about the rising cost of fuel and the Federal Government's failure to respond to issues contained in a letter earlier sent to President Bola Tinubu. The council had written to the President with a number of demands and subsequently directed workers to embark on the three-day action after what it considered inadequate attention to the concerns raised. However, the directive appeared to have had little effect on activities at the Federal Secretariat in Rivers State.
The development suggests that some federal workers in Rivers State were yet to have clear information on the implementation of the industrial action at the time of the visit. Rather than abandoning their duty posts, the workers continued with their daily responsibilities while waiting for further communication from their union representatives. The workers' decision to continue working was also influenced by their reliance on fixed monthly salaries and the need to meet their financial obligations.
The JNPSNC's decision to call for the warning strike was aimed at drawing the Federal Government's attention to the issues raised by organised public sector workers. The council's concerns include the effect of rising living costs on public servants, particularly the increase in the price of fuel, which has continued to affect transportation and the cost of goods and services across the country. For workers who rely largely on fixed monthly salaries, the rising cost of transportation, food, and other basic needs has become a major concern.
Meanwhile, the situation at the Rivers State Secretariat Complex in Port Harcourt could not be independently assessed in the same manner because the complex is currently undergoing renovation. The state government had earlier directed civil servants, particularly junior workers, to operate from home while the renovation work continues. The work-from-home arrangement is expected to remain in place until the renovation is completed in January 2027.
The situation creates a distinction between federal workers operating from the Federal Secretariat and Rivers State civil servants affected by the existing work-from-home arrangement. At the Federal Secretariat, workers were physically present and conducting official business despite the nationwide strike directive. At the state secretariat, however, many workers are already operating under a separate arrangement introduced by the state government because of the ongoing renovation.
Key points
- Workers in Rivers state continued with normal duties due to lack of formal directive from union leaders.
- The warning strike was called by JNPSNC over concerns about rising cost of fuel and government's inaction.
- The situation at the Rivers State Secretariat Complex could not be assessed due to ongoing renovation.
