Di Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council don advise Federal Government say make e use di lull after di three-day warning strike take engage workers leadership. Di council warn say if government fail to address demands, total strike fit land in coming weeks.
Federal workers still dey complain about high income tax wey dem dey deduct from salary every month through Pay As You Earn model.
Nigeria Labour Congress President Joe Ajaero allege say President Bola Tinubu administration no dey engage NLC and e don aloof.
JNPSNC talk say di warning strike wey end yesterday show say public servants no happy over fuel price, purchasing power don fall, and negotiation for new national minimum wage due 2027 never start.
National Secretary Gbenga Olowoyo tell The Guardian say strategic meetings don start to sensitise public servants nationwide for next struggle if government no answer. He talk say compliance with warning strike na about 65 per cent nationwide, and private sector workers no join. Full compliance dey Akwa Ibom, Oyo, Osun, Kaduna, Sokoto and Gombe, partial for other states.
Olowoyo claim di strike don cause public discourse, and people dey call am popular decision from JNPSNC leadership. He acknowledge NLC support, say President Ajaero back di three-day warning strike. JNPSNC demands na reduction and stabilisation of fuel prices, upward review of public servants salaries and allowances, and immediate constitution of tripartite committee to negotiate 2027 national minimum wage.
Civil servants wey speak to journalists yesterday show frustration because of economy. Dem demand immediate reduction in PAYE tax from monthly salary, complain say tax dey chop their purchasing power as goods and services price dey rise.
Erica Eniola, one civil servant, urge government to revisit income tax issue wey burden civil servants finances. She talk say new minimum wage never improve monthly earnings well, but taxes still high.
She give example: Imagine Level 15 officer with monthly salary less than N400,000 paying almost N60,000 tax. She call am alarming. She also talk say despite huge taxes from salaries, government workers still dey pay Value Added Tax and other taxes on certain goods and services, making multiple taxation.
Meanwhile, Federal Government don begin six-week review of Nigeria tax reforms to address implementation gaps, ambiguities and unintended consequences. Di exercise go review VAT thresholds, withholding tax, capital gains treatment, and multiple taxation. Recommendations expected inside Finance Bill 2027.
Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, talk dis in Abuja when e inaugurate Technical Subcommittee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms. Oyedele talk say implementation of new laws show areas wey need clarification, refinement and further reforms. Him talk say real test begin when law meet economy, as businesses interpret am, administrators implement am, investors respond, and citizens experience am.
Ajaero, for weekend episode of Mic On Podcast, talk say NLC attempts to engage government fail. Him talk say NLC write Tinubu between May and December 2025 but no response, forcing congress to announce nationwide protest. Him quote: ‘For past two to three years, na not government dey engage. This government no dey engage.’ Him talk say by December 17, 2025, dem pull out say dem go streets. After writing letter from May to December to President and no response, dem set date to go streets. After that, some governors intervene, and dem get interface. So some governors meet dem, and since then, dem talk once or twice. But those issues, from December last year to now, government just dey do their business. Everybody na their enemy.
