Some federal government workers in Rivers State have said they were yet to receive official communication from their union leaders about the three-day nationwide warning strike directed by the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council.
The council had directed public sector workers across the country to commence the warning strike from midnight on Friday, October 2, over worsening economic hardship, rising fuel prices and the Federal Government’s failure to address demands contained in a letter sent to President Bola Tinubu.
However, when journalists visited the Federal Secretariat Complex in Port Harcourt on Friday, normal official activities were reportedly ongoing.
One of the workers, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said union leaders in the state had not formally informed them about the industrial action.
“Our union leaders here are yet to formally inform us about the warning strike. We are just hearing rumours,” the worker said.
The Rivers State Secretariat Complex was also unavailable for inquiries because the facility is undergoing renovation. The state government had earlier directed some civil servants, particularly junior workers, to work from home until the renovation is completed, reportedly in January 2027.
The warning strike was ordered by the JNPSNC after it demanded measures including a wage award to cushion the effect of economic hardship and the urgent constitution of a tripartite committee to begin negotiations for the next national minimum wage.
The council had warned that failure by the Federal Government to address its demands by September 30 would lead to the three-day industrial action from October 2 to October 4.
The reported situation in Rivers highlights a difference between the national directive issued by the JNPSNC and the level of communication received by some workers at the state level.
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