Oil workers begin warning strike today

Our correspondent learnt that the Port-Harcourt chapter of Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) will join the strike to give the action the required effect.PENGASSAN president, Comrade Francis Johnson, who announced the commencement of the industrial action in Lagos yesterday, said the development was prompted by the federal government’s failure to address […]

Our correspondent learnt that the Port-Harcourt chapter of Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) will join the strike to give the action the required effect.
PENGASSAN president, Comrade Francis Johnson, who announced the commencement of the industrial action in Lagos yesterday, said the development was prompted by the federal government’s failure to address their demands.
The anti-labour activities  he highlighted,  included unjust delays in the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), retardation of staff promotion in the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), non-standardisation of nomenclature and collective bargaining agreement of the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Agency (NNRA) in line with what obtains in other agencies in the oil and gas industry, refusal of the Management of Addax/Petrostuff Nigeria Limited and Chevron/Sudelletra to recall sacked staff, Petrobras management’s release of staff and its refusal to renew expired collective agreements, the unjust termination of appointment of the Port Harcourt Zonal Secretary and Treasurer of PENGASSAN and NUPENG respectively.
Other issues were the perilous state of the nation’s strategic and industrial roads and highways, non-beneficial deductions of National Housing Fund (NHF) from our workers, unabating measures of addressing pipeline vandalism and crude oil theft and divestments by international oil companies (IOCs) without clear guidelines to check the resultant arbitrary job losses, heightening insecurity of members/families in  troubled parts of Northern Nigeria.
Johnson, who kept mute on the nature of the strike, had last week in Lagos said the action would involve  closure of oil installations which may result in fuel scarcity.
He said: “We have mobilised everybody we need to mobilise for the strike. We have given directives to all members and have set up a monitoring committee to ensure total compliance.’’
He said his association was patient and responsible, adding that  the association held several meetings with employers in the sector but the meetings yielded no positive result.
“Our meeting with the employers on Dec 9 was  deadlocked. We have been patient enough. We gave ultimatums, we have held several meetings, up till now there is no positive result. We do not have any other option again to protect our members rather than embarking on this strike.’’
Meanwhile, the President of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria(TUC) Comrade Bala Kaigama,  has criticised government agencies and managements of oil  companies over the failure to  meet the oil workers’ demands.
Kaigama, in a communiqué he jointly issued with scribe of the union, Barrister Mohammed Lawal, urged the federal government to attend to the issues as a matter of urgent national importance to avoid the backlash on Nigerians.