To avert the looming strike that has been threatened by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), the Federal Government has scheduled a meeting with the oil workers for tomorrow in Abuja.
The PENGASSN had recently issued a three-day warning strike beginning from April 16,but tomorrow, the minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Nwogu is expected to lead negotiations on the workers grievances which if not resolved could lead to another round of scarcity of fuel across the nation.
To avert the looming strike that has been threatened by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), the Federal Government has scheduled a meeting with the oil workers for tomorrow in Abuja.
The PENGASSN had recently issued a three-day warning strike beginning from April 16,but tomorrow, the minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Nwogu is expected to lead negotiations on the workers grievances which if not resolved could lead to another round of scarcity of fuel across the nation.
Labour sources told Shipping Position Daily yesterday that the outcome of the meeting which will be attended by the minister, as well as chief executive officers of oil companies (including the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation with which PENGASSAN has disputes will determine whether or nor not the strike will go on.
Shipping Position Daily recalls that PENGASSAN had in its widely circulated petition noted some of its grievances as, "unjustifiable mass disengagement and migration of workers to contract staffing and casuals in the downstream Oil & Gas Products Marketing and Distribution Sectors, most of the downstream Companies today have totally disengaged members inherited upon privatization. Unfair labour practices and anti-union activities of Companies in Onne Free Trade Zone, failure to engage PENGASSAN on issues in the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, before final passage, police Authority's failure to provide PENGASSAN the Reports on its Findings on the killings of our two (2) members of NPDC suspected to have been gruesomely killed by unknown assailant at police check-point and government insensitivity in the handling of Fuel Subsidy Removal Re-. investment Programme thereby forestalling the anticipated stimulation of Investment and Business growth."
In the petition that was signed by its General Secretary, Bayo Olowoshile, threatened that all activities in the both downstream and upstream would be shut down during the three days warning strike in preparatory for an indefinite action should government fail to address its grievances after the warning strike.
It had told the minster in the letter that” we hereby notify you of a 3-day nationwide warning strike that would necessitate total withdrawal of all our members from work locations with effect from Monday, April 16, 2012”
It also expressed worried that there is: "lack of readiness on the part of National Content Development Monitoring Board, NCDMB, to engage PENGASSAN on its activities and its Implementation Guidelines, government insincerity in handling NNPC and National Refineries, dilapidated Road network in majority of State in the Country, and all Oil & Gas facilities access road, kidnapping and general insecurity of members, new Tax Law still regressive bringing about high burden incidence on take home of Oil workers, lack of access of Oil workers to NHF despite years of contribution, government abuse of Nigerians trust and office by allocating government land choice property in Federal Capital Territory to themselves and parties and cronies without considering Nigerian workers who are the Tax payers and illegal dissolution of Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, board, invariably betraying Nigerian trust and abusing subsidy regime with unrealistic templates, Non inclusion of PENGASSAN on Boards/Committee dealing with Oil Industry issues, Insensitive removal of PTI, a Strategic Institution of the Oil Industry from the (provisions of the PIB and Non-committed efforts towards transition of PEF to Petroleum Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF)."
It had also lamented that government had not done anything to “discourage or prevent the high rate of jobs losses, unfair labour practices, anti-union activities and misadministration of national content laws to the detriment of our nationals and employment situation in the industry”.
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