Scarcity still persists even as NUPENG suspends strike over FG’s intervention
Following the federal government intervention Wednesday, the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), yesterday called off the one day old strike as negotiation resumes.
As part of the fulfillment of the decision that lead to the suspension, the Minister of Labour, Dr Chris Ngige, is expected to meet today with the leadership of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, (NUPENG) and Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association Of Nigeria, (PENGASSAN).
The meeting is expected to trash out disagreement between the unionist and oil companies over staff welfare.
It would be recalled that NUPENG had on December 16, 2016, gave the Federal Government a notice of a three-day nationwide warning strike from the second week of January 2017.
The action will be taken over unresolved labour issues with multinationals operating in the oil and gas industry.
President of the union, Igwe Achese, in a statement said that the decision was taken at the end of the NUPENG executive meeting held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
He warned that the three-day warning strike was preparatory to a nationwide strike if there was no intervention by the Federal Government.
South-West Zonal Chairman of the union, Tokunbo Korodo, had told newsmen in Lagos Monday that the union had mobilised its members for the strike.
According to him, the union was determined to forge ahead with the planned warning strike, which would take place on from Jan. 11 to Jan. 13.
He said “The warning strike notice had been given since the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting that was held in Port Harcourt in December and we picked second week of January which commences from Jan 8.
“As I am speaking to you now, all zones including Lagos have mobilised to ensure the success of the strike as directed by NEC body of NUPENG.
“We are having another NEC meeting in Abuja on Jan. 10, to appraise the preparation for the planned strike and meet the government officials.
“It has been the practice of the Nigerian government to wait until the ultimatum day before they start to run from one place to other to find solutions to it.
“If this warning strike is not properly handled as we have mobilised to ensure success of our action, nobody should blame the union,” he said.
Korodo howver, submitted that that if the government had met the NEC of NUPENG before now, the action could have been “nipped in the bud”.
